Appa Ate Momo
by kdinthecity
Summary: Some things from the Avatar series were pretty unbelievable, right? Appa wouldn't eat Momo! Katara wouldn't kiss Aang... oh, wait. That's right, folks, this here is a series of Zutara one-shots. I make no apologies. This is my ship, these are my fics, this is my life.
1. Ring the Bells

_To the tune of Silver Bells…_

Zu-tar-a, Zu-tar-a  
It's shipping time, in the fandom  
Write the theme, draw a meme,  
It's Zutara Month '16.

Tumblr metas, fanfic betas,  
Artists showing their style,  
On the web there's a feeling of closeness  
People writing, canon citing,  
Bringing smile after smile  
And with every new post that you share…

Zu-tar-a, Zu-tar-a  
It's shipping time, in the fandom  
Write the theme, draw a meme,  
It's Zutara Month '16.

* * *

 **A/N:** OK, here I'll be posting a series of one-shots as submissions for Zutara Month. Some stuff is new, but some is adapted from chapters in my other fics, so if you recognize something and think, hey! That's not how that happened! Then, yeah, I probably took out an OC or adjusted the plot points to make the piece able to stand on its own.

And I know a lot of people are waiting for updates to _The Dragon and the Wolf_ and _Silver Lining._ I have ideas, I really do, it's just a matter of getting them collected and transcribed. Maybe all the tumblr love from Zutara Month will inspire me.


	2. Fantasy

**A/N:** This is for Zutara Month, Day 6: Snowflakes.

* * *

In retrospect, planning an Ember Island reunion in the winter may not have been the best idea. The bitter wind persisted and therefore thwarted their beach plans to some extent. Zuko and Katara eventually joined their friends at the waterfront—after stealing a quiet moment alone back at the beach house. When the icy tendrils of the tide reached their bare feet, it became obvious why no one was swimming.

"I thought this was supposed to be the perfect vacation spot," Toph grumbled. Not that she wanted to swim anyway.

"I don't know. I've never been here in the winter," Zuko replied.

"Apparently Yue Bay is where the weather is perfect all year around," Katara said, although she couldn't remember who told her that.

"I'll make a bonfire. I always liked those as a kid. At least until…" Zuko trailed off and set about the task of finding firewood.

"I'll help you." Aang met the Fire Lord's scowl with his characteristic grin. Katara wasn't sure what dark memory plagued Zuko, but she hoped that the Avatar's animated chatter and goofy antics could help snap him out of his sudden gloom.

After the fire had been burning for some time, the younger two of the group expressed their boredom and wandered further down the beach to build sand sculptures with their earthbending. When the conversation amongst the remaining four died down, Katara noticed that Sokka and Suki had gone from cuddly to handsy. It had to be some form of torture to watch her brother do _that._ Zuko picked up on her annoyance pretty quickly, though. "Let's go for a walk," he said.

Zuko seemed to have a destination in mind, and when they arrived at the cave at the far end of the beach, Katara recognized it. They had celebrated her birthday there two summers ago. It was decidedly one of the best birthdays she'd ever had and largely because Zuko had gone to great lengths to make it special for her. _And that was before we even…_

Zuko pulled her into a kiss and then led her into the cave. He gave her _the look_ , his sly smile, and she realized that not only did he have a destination in mind, he also had a plan. She was curious and yes, aroused even, but also feeling a bit feisty. _What if I play hard to get? Besides, it's so damn cold…_

The weather appeared to not phase the firebender at all because once inside the cave, Zuko immediately started stripping off his clothes.

 _Okay, then._

"Z-z-zuko, what are you doing?"

"Well, I don't want to get them wet, do I?"

She remembered now. At the back of the cave was a hot spring. Zuko stood still for a few minutes with his back toward her. It seemed like every muscle in his body was flexed, and all he was doing was just _standing_ there, inadvertently driving her crazy. He then looked over his shoulder at her, flashed a seductive smile, and strode to the water's edge. For all his lack of self-confidence in other ways, in _this_ , he did not. Or perhaps it was just where Katara was concerned. Those types of smiles were only reserved for her, after all.

And this was something they only shared together.

He eased into the water and sighed. She melted.

"It feels great, Katara. Are you coming?"

 _Playing hard to get was such a stupid idea._ Shivers went down her spine and not because she was cold.

Once she had joined him in the water, he said, "You told me I needed to relax and have fun, so I just thought—"

She cut him off with a kiss. A very insistent, _I-have-to-have-you-now_ kiss. He broke it just briefly to look into her desire-filled eyes before he lost himself in them—and then lost himself in her completely.

They had "bathed" together before back at the palace, but this… _this_ was different. It was such a combination of sensations: the heated pool, _like fire and water_ ; them moving together, _team liquidy hot_ ; the occasional burst of cold air against their heated skin, _opposites attract…_

And snow.

 _Wait, snow?_

Zuko stilled their motions even though it almost pained him to do so. Katara let out a little whimper in response.

"K-k-katara, why is it snowing?"

"Oh…um…" She tightened the grip she had around him with her ankles before leaning back slightly to look up at the top of the cave. In an act of impulse before entering the water, she had frozen the condensation there. She had also regulated the surrounding air temperature, so that when the water droplets began to melt and fall, they would refreeze, crystallize, and then float down like snowflakes.

The flurries melted instantly when they touched Zuko's skin, she noticed. She wondered if he could feel their icy prickle first like she could, or if everything with him was just constantly _and irresistibly_ hot. He watched the snowflakes fall in between the puffs of steam their quickened breaths made. When he realized she wasn't going to give much more of an answer, he coaxed her to the edge of the pool where he could get more leverage. It wasn't long before their cries of pleasure echoed off the cave's walls.

* * *

On the walk back to the beach house, Katara confessed. "So, I've always had this… fantasy… about doing it in the snow. Or, um, maybe inside an igloo. I dunno."

"Sounds cold." Zuko smirked.

"Yeah, I guess that's the part I couldn't figure out. I never factored a firebender into the equation, though."

"Wait… how _long_ have you had this fantasy?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, come on. It's not like I ever thought I would leave the South Pole."

"Is this what all little Water Tribe girls fantasize about?"

"Zuko, stop it! Maybe I'm just homesick, did you ever think of that?"

"Oh." He looked taken aback. "Are you?"

"Maybe? I don't know. I just don't know if I could live in the Fire Nation for the rest of my life, OK?"

"Whoa, whoa, what brought this on? Nobody's forcing you to stay in the Fire Nation. Even if we… well, I had hoped you would stay with me, but of course, you could go back home whenever you want. I wouldn't stop you." All confidence was lost. Zuko was not the man in the cave anymore. He felt uncertain, vulnerable… and cold.

Katara realized that while she had been playing with snow flurries before, she had just thrown ice daggers without meaning to. And instead of melting upon impact, they had penetrated. _That came out completely wrong. How do I explain? It's just a big decision, that's all…_

"I want to go with you," Zuko said.

"Huh?" Katara had been so distracted by her own inner dialogue, that Zuko's comment caught her off guard.

"I want to go with you to the South Pole."

"You d-d-do?"

"Yeah. I want to meet Gran Gran. And eat seaprunes. And go tiger seal hunting with your dad. And try ice fishing. And I want to make love to you in the snow. Or in an igloo… whichever you prefer." He smiled, this time a shy and hopeful smile.

"Technically you've already met Gran Gran…"

"That doesn't count."

"And you've had seaprunes."

"That doesn't count, either."

"And just now, it was snowing, sort of…"

"Katara?" His smile vanished.

"Hmm?"

"Are you… ashamed of me? Do you not… want me to go?

"No! I mean, yes!" Zuko's frown contorted into a look of confusion. Katara made a noise of frustration.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to say what I mean. _No_ , I am not ashamed of you. And _yes_ , I would love to take you to the South Pole!"

"Who's going to the South Pole?" Sokka fell in step with them out of nowhere.

"Sokka! Where did you come from?" Katara squeaked. _And how much did you hear?_

"I've been looking for you two. Lunch is ready. And then after lunch, Zuko, you owe me a sword fight."

"You're on," Zuko replied. "Hey, Sokka, we'll see you at the beach house in a few, okay?" He gave the other teen a rather pointed look, and his meaning was understood.

"Sure thing." Sokka left.

Katara marveled at how easily Zuko could get rid of her brother. She couldn't do that if she tried. In fact, if she had insinuated or even outright asked him to leave, he would take that as all the more reason to stay.

Zuko interrupted her thoughts with a kiss. His breath was warm on her neck when he whispered, "So… I've always had this fantasy of doing it in a hot spring… inside a cave…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, this scene also appears in _very_ similar fashion in _Rising Tide_ , Chapter 8: Fire and Ice.


	3. Unexpected

**A/N:** This is for Zutara Month, Day 7: Unexpected Visits. I also wrote it in LilyAmelia's universe from her fic, _Time Heals Wounds_. I highly recommend it and everything else she writes! I must also warn that this story is very, very sad. Heart-wrenching, really.

* * *

There were lots of things about turning thirty-five that Katara hadn't expected.

First, the recovery after her last pregnancy. It had been hard. Harder than she expected. Harder than the other two. It took much longer for her to feel normal again. And she was unexpectedly _relieved_ when Tenzin weaned. Like this whole baby thing was just so taxing on her—physically and emotionally—and she would be juuuuuuust fine to be done with it.

But she knew Aang would want more.

She didn't expect to get pregnant again so soon, though.

Her hormones were such a mess, but she really did want to hit him when he said, "That's great news, Katara! Another chance for an airbender!" It didn't help that he said it in front of Bumi. Who by now had passed the age where bending ability was typically revealed—or _not._

Tenzin had been such a fitful baby that she was almost certain he'd turn out to be an airbender. The same week she found out she was pregnant, he learned to walk—no, _wander._ Her little nomad child, she'd come to think of him. Except that she was so very tired in these early stages of pregnancy that she didn't want to chase a toddler. Surely this had been easier with Bumi and Kya, hadn't it?

It was also the same week that Aang was called away to weeklong peace proceedings in Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom was worse than the Fire Nation at maintaining the peace, she decided. They always needed Aang's help. Then again, King Kuei was no Fire Lord Zuko. And Zuko would probably not ask for help even if he needed it.

But then her dear friend _did_ ask for help—when she least expected it. And he was there to offer help—when she unexpectedly needed it.

Aang's one-week trip turned into three weeks which wasn't altogether unexpected. She would've graciously accepted this as typical Avatar duty, if only she hadn't been so tired—and _hot_. Did she have these hot flashes last time? It wasn't even summer, yet. At some point, bending away her own sweat wasn't worth the energy or the effort.

Thankfully an air acolyte took a break from her ceaseless praying to lend a hand with the kids. Katara knew she would never have that kind of devotion. Aang probably deserved someone who did. And someone who didn't resent the idea of having another baby.

Surely these thoughts were just the hormones talking. She loved her children. And she loved this new life inside her just the same. _Didn't she?_

"Uncle used to say that if you frown too much, your face will stick that way."

Katara nearly fainted. But not from hormones. From the sound of _his_ voice.

"Zuko! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I realized that I've never met Tenzin. So it's been over a year. And Izumi wanted to see Bumi and Kya. It's dreadfully boring at the palace." His tone was uncharacteristically upbeat. The crease in his brow gave him away.

"No siblings, yet?" It was a personal question that she disliked when people asked her. Especially since she heard _no airbenders, yet_ , instead. But this was Zuko, her best friend. Surely he wouldn't take it personally.

Except that unexpectedly, he _did_ , thus confirming her suspicions. "Ahhh, no—um…"

"Zuko, what is it? Is Ume OK?"

"She's uhh—well, we've tried, of course. But I think something's wrong. Not with that. I don't care about that. She's just tired all the time. And short of breath. Do you think you could…?"

"Of course, Zuko. I'd be glad to take a look. Is she here?"

"No. She didn't feel up to the journey. I—of course, we have plenty of room for your family at the palace. Come whenever is convenient. Stay as long as you like."

"Aang is in Ba Sing Se right now, but when he gets back…"

A flurry of activity interrupted their conversation. Bumi practically tackled Zuko with a laughing Kya trailing him. Ten-year-old Izumi then appeared with a drooly Tenzin perched on her hip. Katara marveled at how much the young firebender had grown, her childlike features fading into a womanly beauty. There were definite traces of Zuko in her appearance, but glimpses of Ume, too.

"I heard you've been training with the sword, Master Bumi." Zuko ruffled the seven-year-old's crazy crop of hair.

"Yes sir, but I'm hardly a master. I sometimes train with Uncle Sokka… when he's not busy."

"Hmm, you need a master, don't you?" Zuko's eyes flickered to Katara, but she didn't have a good answer to his unspoken question. She taught Kya waterbending, but it was true that Bumi's own training had been neglected.

"Yes sir." The disappointment in the child's voice was answer enough, though.

"Tell me, Bumi, have you ever fought with two swords?" Zuko redirected.

The boy's chin lifted, and his eyes sparkled. "Like at the same time? That's impossible!"

"Well, you have two hands, don't you?"

Katara fought the urge to say that her son might _not_ have two hands after swordfighting lessons with Zuko. She could tell, though, by the way _his_ eyes lit up and how Izumi rolled hers that he didn't get to do this often, if ever.

So Zuko went off with Bumi, Izumi and Kya practiced their bending moves together, and Katara put Tenzin down for a nap. Suddenly it was very quiet, and she had time for herself. It was most unexpected, and she honestly didn't know what to do. She decided to prepare the guest room for their unexpected visitors in hopes that they would stay awhile.

Later that evening, a giddy, sweaty Zuko shooed her out of the kitchen and offered to make dinner. It was such an unusual gesture. Aang _never_ made dinner. She didn't even expect Zuko to know how to cook. He was royalty, after all. The bigger surprise, though, was that he cooked them meat. She didn't realize how much she'd missed it—how much it reminded her of home. She didn't dare ask where it came from, although Bumi answered soon enough.

"Mom, Fire Lord Zuko took me hunting!"

"Oh, he did, did he?" She shot her friend a look of warning. It was one thing to teach Bumi the swords, but hunting encroached on their family values.

Zuko just shrugged. "It wasn't really hunting. The animal was already hurt, so we kinda… put it out of its misery? I'm a terrible hunter anyway. I couldn't hit a moving target if I tried."

Somehow Katara doubted that. She was about to expound on her reprimand, but Izumi spoke first.

"Ew, Dad. Can we not talk about our food like that?" She made a fake choking sound. "I think I'm going to become a vegetarian."

"Cool. Can we trade families then? Because I want to eat meat everyday!" Bumi popped another bite into his mouth, beaming proudly as he did.

It was a most unfortunate time for "morning" sickness to hit. Katara quickly excused herself from the table. She didn't expect Zuko to follow her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—" He held back her hair. He _actually_ held back her hair. She held back her tears.

After she had recovered, both from the retching and repressing, he continued in a calm and soothing voice, "I didn't mean to make you sick. I didn't think… of course, if you never eat meat—"

"No, Zuko, it's not your fault. I-I'm pregnant."

"Oh."

She couldn't read his expression much like she couldn't read her own emotions in that moment, either. She wondered why he had to be so nice, so helpful, so… _perfect._ Scarred, yet flawless.

That was ridiculous, though. Nobody was perfect. The only reason people would overlook each other's imperfections was if love had made them blind.

Suddenly, Katara saw the situation all too clearly.

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed. You and Izumi are welcome to stay, of course. Just make yourself at home."

"I'd prefer not to travel at night if that's alright. We'll head back first thing in the morning. I appreciate your hospitality."

His tone was so formal and his expression so stiff, it was like she was talking to the Fire Lord and not a dear friend. Had he also noticed the shift that had occurred between them, albeit subtle? She couldn't very well sort through these muddled thoughts and emotions, not in her current state. Perhaps it would be best if she slept through his departure the next day.

Little did she know what darkness lie ahead in the night and what new light would be cast on their relationship by morning.

She expected to drift right to sleep, but a slight cramping sensation kept her awake. She blamed it on the meat… at first. Then the pain intensified. Then there was blood. Then water—her hands coated in it, glowing, healing. Then stillness. Then screaming.

She almost felt like she was outside of herself watching the scene unfold. This couldn't be happening. _No._ This wasn't happening.

She must have fallen asleep at some point because she woke up the next morning in his arms. She remembered what had happened, but she didn't remember _him._

"Zuko, wha—"

"Shhhhhh. It's OK."

Her throat felt raw, so she knew she had been crying—a lot. Still, she managed, "I k-k-killed my baby."

Zuko tightened his grip on her shoulders. "What!? Of course you didn't! These things… just happen. It's nobody's fault. You even tried to save your baby. I saw your healing water."

She sighed deeply and buried her face in his chest. "But I d-d-didn't want to be pregnant again. Not so soon. Not when Aang—" She couldn't finish. It sounded too selfish to say out loud. But the pressure had become so overwhelming. She couldn't promise airbending heirs to her Avatar husband no matter how much she wanted to—no matter how hard she tried. She felt like a failure of a wife—and a mother.

She saw Zuko's jaw clinch, and she knew what he must be thinking. She didn't want to portray Aang in a bad light. It certainly wasn't his fault. He wasn't even here.

That's right. He wasn't here.

But Zuko was.

She nestled deeper into his warmth, his comfort. It was what she needed, and she admitted to herself that she needed it from _him_. Somehow she knew that Aang would grieve the loss of their child, the chance at another airbender. He would grieve _for_ her. But Zuko—he would grieve _with_ her.

 _I'm sorry. That's something we have in common._ It seemed like only yesterday that he'd spoken those words in a cave full of glowing green crystals.

"It gets easier," Zuko said suddenly.

"What?" His words shook her from her reverie.

"S-s-sorry. That's not very comforting, I know. I shouldn't have—"

"Ume," she whispered before she realized the name had escaped her lips. The same thing must've happened to her— _to them_. Guilt overtook her. She shouldn't be here clinging to Zuko when he had a sick wife back at home. She quickly released him and moved away from the bed.

"Katara, I'm sorry if I did something wrong, I—" There was pain in his voice and sadness in his eyes, like he was still very much the boy in the cave. But he wasn't, and they had come so far since then. They were closer than she'd ever expected to become with someone from the Fire Nation, a former enemy, the _Fire Lord_ , even.

"No, Zuko, it's fine. You're… I don't know what I'd do without you. You've been… perfect."

She reached out to take his hand and gave it a small squeeze. Her gaze then drifted to the stained bedsheets, and her vision blurred with tears. A warm hand cupped her face, and a calloused thumb swiped across her wet cheek. His touch felt nice, but as she leaned into it, confusion and clarity struck her once again.

"Zuko, why are you here?"

"Because I heard you screaming in the night."

"No, I mean, why are you _here_?"

"Oh. I came to ask you for help."

Yes, of course. She sighed and pulled away.

"And because I wanted to see you."

His statement and his smile were so genuine that her tears flowed freely now. There was something so painfully beautiful about this moment they shared together. She would never want to relive it, but she would cherish it all the same. She shuddered at the calm comfort of his next words.

"Hey. You go get yourself cleaned up. I'll take care of cleaning up in here. OK? Then, you get some rest, and I'll get some breakfast ready for when the kids wake up."

Yet again, unexpectedly perfect. Or perhaps perfectly unexpected?

With Zuko, it was always a little unclear.


	4. Spice of Life

**A/N:** This is for Zutara Month, Day 8: Spice. As a side note for anyone not immersed in my universe, Roaring Panda is an alcoholic beverage distilled from the panda lily with certain aphrodisiac effects. Even though this chapter reflects another one from _Rising Tide_ , I contend that they are much older here. Because I do not condone underage drinking. (Yes, I know I wrote that little fic called _Don't Drink the Cactus Juice_ , umm... so, I have a guilty conscience.)

* * *

"We're almost out of Roaring Panda!" Katara pouted as she surveyed the dwindling contents of the bottle.

"We? You're the only one who drinks it." Zuko pushed a pile of paperwork to the corner of his desk. _And go ahead and drink up. Because I am done with work for today and ready to work you._

Katara couldn't exactly read his thoughts from the simple smirk he gave her. The act of rearranging things on his desk didn't quite serve as the cue he had intended, either.

"Whose is it anyway?" If Katara hadn't already been feeling a little tipsy from her wine at dinner, she might have known better than to ask that question. Zuko was always calling it a "girl's drink," so it was hard for her to imagine Ozai partaking in it even though they found it stashed in the former Fire Lord's liquor cabinet.

 _Mood killer._ Zuko frowned at her, picked up a quill, and began writing a letter to Nobleman Qi in the Shingzong Province. _Back to work, I guess._

Katara quickly realized her mistake. She retrieved shot glasses and finished off the bottle with two final pours. She brought one over to Zuko. "What I _meant_ to say was, 'where do I get some more?'"

Zuko personally didn't like the way the liquor tasted, but he knew he would need its assistance after entertaining the notion that his father—or perhaps it was his mother—had once enjoyed the drink and its promised after-effects.

He swallowed. At first it just burned the back of his throat, but it wasn't long before he felt the burning sensation all over. He remembered now another reason why he didn't like the Roaring Panda. It intensified the fieriness that he often felt when he was frustrated or angry. He feared it would make him lose control.

"Zuko? Are you OK?" Katara coaxed. "You look a little flush. Are you… feeling the drink already?" Her voice was low and heady when she said the last part. She took a long sip of her liquor, slipped a leg across his waist to straddle him right there in his chair, and then his mind went completely blank. _Did she… ask me a question?_

Zuko liked it when Katara had her panda lily spirit. Because she blossomed above him, and he wilted beneath her.

"The Kit-n-Kindle," he managed in between hot desperate kisses.

"What?" She leaned back to look at him, and he took this opportunity to start working at the ties and fasteners of her clothes.

"It's a… sex shop. In the Caldera. It's where you buy the Roaring Panda."

"And how would you know about this place, _Fire Lord_?" she teased.

 _Another mood killer._ "Uncle told me about it," he squeaked.

She sat there in his lap, half-dressed and lost in thought for a few minutes. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if they were done for the night.

"Can I just… go there?" she finally asked.

"Well, maybe not by yourself. It's not in the best part of town," Zuko replied. "And we can't go together… it wouldn't… look good."

"I know, I know." She sighed. Just as she was about to redirect her attention to taking off _his_ clothes, she lit up. "I'll take Suki!"

Zuko groaned. That idea sounded like trouble. As in, S-O-K-K-A, that spelled trouble.

"What? It'll be fun!"

"But Suki doesn't need…" Zuko then realized that talking about her brother like _that_ could potentially be another mood killer, and he'd had enough of those for one evening. Then again, if _he_ and Sokka could manage a trip to the Kit-n-Kindle, now _that_ would be a riot. He had heard they sold meat-flavored lubricant. And boomerang-shaped dildos.

"Zuko? Hello? Where'd you go?" Katara was used to him getting lost in thought like this, but she couldn't help but be curious this time. She'd _felt_ his pants tighten in response to whatever it was.

"Uhh, sorry."

"I was _saying_ … we need to get a gift for King Kuei's wedding."

"Oh." Zuko tugged at the collar of his tunic. He was definitely feeling things now. "They wouldn't like the Roaring Panda I d-don't think. Besides Ba Sing Se has its own shop… it's even bigger… c-called the Bump-n-Grind… or something like that."

The look Katara gave him just then was scolding, almost _motherly_. That would also be a mood killer if he wasn't already too far gone. If Katara was just going to talk and not initiate, then he needed to take matters into his own hands. He started by freeing himself from his own pants since they had become quite _restricting_.

"Did you know that Kuei and his fiancée have never… well… you know?"

 _Yup, she's still talking._ He skillfully removed her bindings. "No, I don't know what you're talking about."

"What would you get someone for their first time?"

 _Just shut up, Katara._ She gasped when he took a nipple in his mouth, teasing with tongue and teeth.

"I mean, I thought the Roaring Panda would be good because it kinda helps you let go of your inhibitions."

 _Is that what it does?_ Zuko lifted her up from the chair, slammed her onto his desk, and started pounding into her hard and fast. Her eyes went wide at the forcefulness of it. He was usually so gentle. The only time he was rough was in response to her demands. It wasn't that she didn't like it. It was just so different. And unexpected.

"Are you done talking, Katara?" he panted.

"Mmm-mm."

"Good. Because now I want to hear you scream."

* * *

There was a certain price to pay for playing it rough. Zuko decided it was a good type of soreness, though. He hoped Katara would agree. At least she could heal herself if she felt too uncomfortable, although he would _never_ use that as an excuse to do something she wasn't into. She definitely seemed _into_ it last night, as he recalled. As he stood to stretch his legs, taking a short break from the mounds of paperwork, he couldn't help but look back at his desk with a pang of longing. She would come later, though—she always did.

It was sooner rather than later, which was a good thing because he was terribly distracted. He blamed it on the damn desk.

"You're back already?" Zuko curiously eyed the bag Katara was carrying.

"Yup! Wanna see what I got at the Kit-n-Kindle?"

"Uhh, sure." He felt the heat rise to his face, but he didn't know why he would be so embarrassed. He was a grown man for Agni's sake.

"OK, so for Kuei and his bride, I got the Roaring Panda, like I said I would. And also, this." She handed him a bottle. "I just thought it would make sense… coming from you and me."

"Fire and Ice," Zuko read the label aloud. "Enjoy complementary heat and cold sensations with this water-based personal lubricant. Non-bender formula." He raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what the bender formula is like?"

"Well, that was the interesting part. The shop owner said that Fire and Ice was originally designed for partners where at least one was a firebender. But the manufacturers have expanded their line to include different bending elements and appeal to nonbenders as well. He had just received some new products, so I decided to try them."

"You… _tried_ them?" Zuko had never been to the shop, but he couldn't imagine how one would go about _trying_ the merchandise.

"Well, I mean, I bought them… so _we_ could try them," she clarified.

 _Oh. Right._

"So there's this one, called Dirty Minds, from the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko felt his pulse quicken when he took the bottle from her. "It's like a… mud bath?"

"And this one is supposed to be from the Water Tribe, but I'm honestly a bit skeptical."

"Heh. Wet Dream. That's… clever." Zuko set the bottle down on his desk next to the other two.

Then he saw her face light up as she handed him an amber-colored glass bottle. "Last thing. I got you some whiskey. Since I know you don't like the Roaring Panda."

He read the label, "Spice of Life. Cinnamon and clove infused rye whiskey specially formulated to spice things up."

"Do you want to try it?" As Katara walked over to the liquor cabinet to get the shot glasses, Zuko noticed she was limping.

"Katara! What happened? Are you hurt?"

She turned and gave him a half-smirk. " _You_ happened. Remember?"

 _Shit, I took things too far._

"Katara, why didn't you heal yourself?"

She shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? You're having trouble walking!"

"I'm fine, Zuko. Really." She set the shot glasses down on his desk, but he placed a hand over his.

"None for me, thanks." He wasn't sure if he could blame things on the alcohol or not, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Not tonight for just drinks—or…"

He sighed at her obvious disappointment. "Can we—I just have a few things to finish up here, and then I'll meet you in my room. OK?" He circled around the desk and pulled her into a gentle embrace. _She feels so good like this in my arms. It wasn't worth it. I should have never…_

"OK, sure. I'll see you soon," she said as she gathered the items from the shop and put them back in her bag.

When she got to the doorway, he spoke, his voice raw with emotion. "Katara, I… never meant to hurt you. And I promise I won't do it again."

Her lips twisted into a seductive smile followed by a pout. "You better do it again. In fact, I'm going to go heal myself right now, so I can be ready for more."

"What!?" Zuko called after her, but she was already out the door. His momentary confusion was replaced with a wave of relief. _It's OK. Really._

He thumbed through some paperwork, but he knew any efforts at working would be futile at this point. The bed _would_ be more comfortable than his desk, of course. He scooped up the shot glasses and the whiskey, and went to join her there.


	5. Love Zutara-ly

**A/N:** This is how I originally wrote these characters in my Love Avatarly crossover fic. But then I decided to make Zuko the prime minister instead. (Although that dancing scene with Hugh Grant just _screamed_ Sokka to me. Hmm. I guess there's still time to change it? You can leave me a review and let me know what you think...)

* * *

Blue hopeful eyes stared back at him. Of course, he'd been staring at those same eyes for hours on end. Video editing was one of his lesser-known skills among his friends. He definitely didn't tell _her_ about it.

A wide grin spread across Katara's face. "Oh Zuko, you're a life saver. I just knew you'd have a video of the wedding. I really appreciated Teo's help and all. I just didn't have the heart to tell him that the video he took chopped everyone's heads off, you know?"

"Y-y-yeah, sure. Um… I hope it's there. I might've… taped over it… the Pro-Bending Championships were on last night… yeah." Zuko raked a hand through his hair and scanned his apartment for the quickest escape.

Katara popped in the video and settled back on the couch with a sigh. At the first scene of her and Aang walking down the aisle, she let out a little gasp. "Oh, Zuko, it's perfect."

"You're perfect," he mumbled under his breath.

It wasn't long before her giddy smile faded into a frown of confusion. "Z-z-zuko, all the footage is… of me?"

"I—uh, yeah."

Her confusion then gave way to realization. "B-b-but you never said anything. At the Western Air Temple? And on Ember Island? Or the comet…"

As their eyes met, he knew they were both thinking of the events of _that_ fateful day.

"Katara, he's the Avatar. It's kind of a self-preservation thing?" And then, he fled. It was all too much. The fullness of the blue in her eyes. The emptiness he felt in his heart. "Just show yourself out," he called over his shoulder.

* * *

Her beauty nearly took his breath away when she opened the door. And she was merely wearing lounge pants and a tank top. He immediately decided he liked that look on her. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus.

"Hey, sweetie, who is it?" Aang called from somewhere inside their apartment.

Zuko immediately brandished a sign that read, "Say it's a salesman."

Dutifully, Katara said, "It's a salesman, sweetie!"

"Tell him we don't want any!" Aang hollered.

Zuko shrugged and then turned on his handheld radio. An advertisement for car insurance was conveniently playing in the background, so he supposed if Katara needed an answer as to what _type_ of salesman, perhaps she could use that. He just wanted some background noise, something to distract him from his nervousness. Soothing music would be nice. He took a deep breath. With her imploring and _adorable_ gaze boring into him, he knew it was now or never.

He had decided to write everything down on cue cards, of sorts. Partly because he was horrible with words and always a bumbling mess around Katara. And partly because he didn't want to forget anything.

So he began displaying his messages in order, watching her intently for her reaction.

 _With any luck, by next year…_

 _I'll take over my father's business. I'll be rich._

 _Girls will be throwing themselves at me._

 _But for now, while I'm still humble, let me say…_

 _If circumstances were different,_

 _I would shamelessly throw myself at your feet._

 _I would worship you._

 _Because of who you are._

 _Not because of what you've made me._

 _Which is hopelessly in love, by the way._

 _Forever and always._

 _I just needed you to know._

 _So that now I can let you go._

He expected his hands to shake a little. He anticipated the feeling of a flushed face and sweaty palms. All of those things usually happened when he was around her.

He did not expect her to cry. And again, it was too much. He turned to leave. He had _said_ his fill and promised to let her go. But he just stood there, facing away from her. He did not expect walking away to be so damn hard.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

No sooner had he closed his eyes to relish her words than he felt soft lips pressed against his in the smallest of gestures. His eyes shot open, and he was met with a sea of blue, calm and expectant.

"Katara?"

She placed a finger over his mouth and then slid her hand to caress his cheek. This time the kiss was longer, deeper, and it was everything he could have hoped for—better than he could have ever imagined.

Then it was over. She smiled and quirked a brow, and then she was gone from his field of view. He heard the sound of the door shut from behind him before he let out the breath he had apparently been holding. He lifted shaky fingers to touch the place where she had just left her mark. It still tingled.

"Enough," he said.

And it _was_ enough. It was all he needed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Oh, this is for Zutara Month, Day 10: Bows. Only because of the rework of the Love Actually movie poster that I polished up and posted on tumblr.


	6. Quenched

_As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words._ ~William Shakespeare

* * *

"This is one of those things I have to do alone." Zuko knew this conversation would go _swimmingly_ well.

"But I can help you!" Katara protested with heat rising to her face.

"No! You can't!"

"What!?" Katara put her hands on her hips and glared— _flared_ —at him.

Zuko felt a huge wave of frustration. "I mean, I know you _can_. I won't let you."

" _What_!?" Her eyes narrowed, simmering with her anger.

"I'm sorry! I think—it's too dangerous."

"I don't care what you _think,_ Zuko. I'm going with you!"

"Katara, _please_." He placed his hands on her shoulders as if trying to stay afloat. "Don't do this. I can handle it. Just stay here. I'll be back soon."

She held her scolding— _scalding_ —posture. "But what if someone gets hurt? What if you need a healer? What if _you_ get hurt…"

"Katara, I can't…" He leaned in for her to buoy him. He was so tired of fighting—yet, he couldn't surrender, not in this.

She pushed him away—the fight within her now raging like wildfire. "You can't just leave me behind! Is this how it's going to be? You going off to do Fire Lord business with me stuck at home?" Her admission of the Fire Nation as _home_ burned a little.

Zuko folded his arms against his chest. They weren't getting anywhere like this. They were just treading water. "This hardly constitutes as business. This... is just crazy. It's too much of a risk."

"Which is why you need my help!"

"No! I need you to—"

"You need me to _what_ , Zuko?"

"I…NEED YOU, OK?"

At this confession, her flames were doused. "I'm here. I'm right here."

"No, I mean, I can't lose you." The look he gave her nearly took her breath away—like he was _drowning_.

Then, the floodgates were open. "Katara, as much as I am afraid of fucking things up as Fire Lord, I am more afraid of losing you. I feel like you're the only thing keeping me centered right now, and without you... I can't… I won't make it… and I know it's unfair to expect you to—"

She melted. "OK, OK. I get it. I'll stay."

"Thank you." His words were muffled in her hair as he crashed into her warm embrace.

"But if you're not back after an hour, I'm coming for you!"

Zuko noticed the gleam in her eye and responded with a surge of confidence. "I'll be back. I promise."

A memory then sparked, its pain reignited. Her father had said the same thing when he left for war. She could almost hear those words echo across the vast sea where she stood at the water's edge so many times just waiting for him.

"No." In a flash, she pulled away from him. "No! You don't get to say that! That's… an empty promise. You're not the only one afraid of losing people, Zuko!"

The depth of defeat returned to his eyes. "I gotta go, Katara. I'm sorry."

She watched her resolve dissipate into thin air like smoke. And then she watched him leave.

He was barely out the door, and she felt like there was an ocean between them already. This wasn't right. They were partners. She was the _Fire Lady_.

So, she decided to follow him. Surprisingly, he hadn't gone far, only a few steps beyond the threshold, where he stood seemingly frozen on the spot.

She was more than ready to fire off her speech, but his outpour happened first. "Katara, you're right. You should go with me. As much as I would like to think that you'll always be safe, I also need you by my side. We've fought together before. I asked for your help then, and I'm asking now."

Another memory flickered in her mind as Katara answered, "It would be my pleasure."

A rush of relief was followed by a searing kiss, and then understanding finally flowed between them.

* * *

 **A/N:** This is for Zutara Week, Day 11: Partners.


	7. Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty (Chapter 1 of 2)

* * *

Sokka is the first to bear him a grandchild—or well, it's Suki, technically speaking. For Hakoda's spittin' image of a son and his fierce fighter of a wife, the birth becomes a grandiose affair on Kyoshi Island. At least half of her warriors attend in labor while Sokka paces in and out of the dojo-turned delivery room. Hakoda is invited, too, but he politely declines.

There's a tint of red in the boy's wisp of curls, and everyone fusses over his beautiful sapphire eyes. Hakoda knows that will be the child's winning feature, having two blue-eyed babes of his own. It seems like the whole island has passed around the precious bundle before Grandpa gets a quiet moment to hold the newest member of his bloodline.

Sokka and Suki wear the weary faces of new parents, but Hakoda sees that they are well—contented and complete with their little family of three. Suki nurses and sleeps while Sokka sings _Soft Little Seal_ , a traditional Water Tribe lullaby and carves a boomerang out of sandalwood. The sights, sounds, and even smells assure Hakoda that everything will be alright, so he returns to the South Pole with a full and happy heart.

Two years later, when it's Katara's turn, the experience is altogether different. Despite Zuko being royalty and the birth taking place in a palace the size of Hakoda's entire village, the couple choose a very intimate setting. It's only Katara and a midwife in a private west corridor room while Hakoda and Iroh wait patiently outside the door. Zuko comes in and out intermittently, pacing very much like Sokka did, but there is something about his countenance that seems beyond typical first-time nervousness, Hakoda observes.

As if on cue, Iroh answers his unspoken question. "He's scared to death, my poor nephew."

Hakoda furrows his brow. "Is there reason to be concerned? Katara had a healthy pregnancy, didn't she?"

"Of course. Katara is quite well. Zuko is afraid of becoming a father," Iroh says simply.

The old man's lips form a smile, but Hakoda doesn't miss the flicker of something in his eyes. "Weren't we all?" he offers with a dry chuckle.

Iroh's smile fades. "Oh, let me rephrase. He's afraid of becoming _his_ father."

Hakoda recognizes the shadow that passes over the other's face as the darkness of their family past. He's heard enough to _know_ without really knowing. Although in reality, he knows all too well—he can _relate,_ on some level, at least.

He doesn't want to delve into his own past like that, not on such a joyous occasion, so he surprises himself with his next words. "He won't. I didn't."

The warmth in Iroh's expression returns almost instantly. "I didn't, either."

A pale-faced Zuko is back in the hallway, wincing as the door accidentally slams behind him. "Is all the screaming… normal?"

Both men nod solemnly, each with a slight upturn at the corner of their mouths. Iroh is the first to let a laugh slip past his lips, but he covers it up with a fake cough. Hakoda rubs a hand over his face as if to wipe away his obvious amusement.

Zuko frowns at them. "The midwife says the baby is crowning. Is that… some sort of… metaphor?"

Iroh doesn't mask his mirth this time. "What do you mean, nephew? That today we celebrate a coronation as well as a birthday?"

Zuko folds his arms across his chest in annoyance. "Well, I just thought… because we're royalty… or something."

"ZUKO, GET IN HERE NOW!"

Hakoda's eyes widen at the sound of his daughter's voice, not only the sheer volume of it, but also how much she sounds like Kya.

 _Kya._ That's the name they had chosen for a girl. Somehow in that moment, Hakoda knows they will welcome a princess today.

"You should tell him," Iroh's voice breaks through the Chief's bittersweet reverie.

"Tell him what?" Hakoda tries to sift through memories of his late wife to recall what they were talking about a few minutes ago.

"Well, _I've_ tried telling him, of course. But maybe it would be more meaningful coming from you. I'm not sure what your story is, but perhaps it would be comforting for Zuko to know that other families have their struggles. Plus, he greatly respects you and your opinion. Your vote of confidence would make quite an impact, I think."

"Hmm." Hakoda doesn't get more of a chance to speak or think on the matter before the midwife shoves open the door.

"It's a girl!" she half-shouts, half-grunts at them. She looks worse for wear, Hakoda thinks, and he wishes that Gran Gran had been in better health to make the trip and attend to Katara instead.

All sense of regret vanishes when he enters the room and takes in the scene. Zuko sits on a pallet of blankets with his back against the wall. Katara's head is in his lap, and he gently strokes her hair, pushing sweaty locks away from her forehead and temples, and tucking loose strands behind her ears. The new father stares at the tiny figure lying on his wife's chest with complete adoration and awe. There is no fear there, at least not for now.

Katara and the infant are lightly draped in linen, and Hakoda realizes he's thankful for the warmer temperatures in the Fire Nation. Babies born in the dead of winter in the South Pole are sometimes at risk for their survival, but there is nothing cold or threatening surrounding this beautiful birth. That's when it hits him. He is standing in the home of the Fire Lord witnessing the birth of an heir— _his_ heir, too. And as peacefully as the babe sleeps on her mother's breast, the world around them is at peace as well.

It is truly a sight to behold.

* * *

 **A/N** : For ZK Month, Day 14: Beauty and the Beast  
Despite the titles, these are not crossovers.  
My first time to write in present tense, eek!  
Click "next" for chapter two!


	8. Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast (Chapter 2 of 2)

* * *

"How is my little koala sheep this morning?" Hakoda isn't sure if he has overstayed his welcome, yet, but they develop a little routine where he takes his granddaughter for a couple of hours each morning to allow for the new parents to rest after nights of disjointed sleep.

"Dad, her name is Kya, you know," Katara groans.

The Chief can't help but laugh. Mother or not, she has never been a morning person. "I know that, my sweet sparrowkeet. I only give nicknames to those I love the most."

"But I hate my nickname. Especially when you shortened it to 'skeet.' And when you shortened Sokka's 'eagle scout' to just 'scout,' then we were 'skeet and scout,' it was _an—noy—ing_." She draws out the last word with a simultaneous yawn.

Hakoda only smiles and scoops up a bundle of yellow fabric from the bed. He notices Zuko is not there, although he remembers that firebenders typically rise with the sun, or so they say.

"Thanks, Dad." He hears her whisper as he slips out the door.

No thanks are needed, though. He _lives_ for these moments.

"Where shall we go today, Koala Sheep?"

She doesn't answer, of course, only sleeps. She's such a beauty, he thinks. Her skin is not quite as dark as his and Katara's, but not as light as Zuko's, either. Her hair is sleek and dark, curling slightly at the ends. And whenever those eyes finally flutter open, golden gems framed by dark lashes literally take his breath away. Hakoda guesses she'll be a firebender. It's just a hunch, but his instincts have always been pretty good.

He decides on the palace gardens because the weather beckons him, and he knows he'll miss that and so many other things when he returns to the South Pole. He finds Zuko meditating by the turtleduck pond, so he tries to sneak by without disturbing him, but baby Kya decides to thwart his attempts at stealth.

Zuko's eyes snap open at the sound of her cries. Hakoda shushes and shrugs and smiles sheepishly at his son-in-law. "S-s-sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright. Maybe she knew it was me. I seem to have that effect on her." Zuko sighs.

Hakoda wonders if this is simply the flailing confidence of a new father or something else entirely. Exhaustion never helps, either, and while he sees that on the young Fire Lord's face, defeat is written there, too.

"Mind if I—" the Chief gestures to the grassy bank next to the pond where Zuko is sitting.

"Of course. I mean, of course I don't mind." The young man rakes a hand across his head, and as Hakoda settles down on his left, he eyes the scar for the briefest of moments before strands of hair strategically settle back into place.

He offers the bundle to her father, but Zuko declines with a slight hand gesture. Hakoda then props up his knees and positions Kya there, facing him. She crinkles her brow and whimpers softly, a prelude to something bigger, Hakoda knows. He pops his pinkie in her mouth and begins singing while she eagerly sucks on his finger.

 _Soft seal, little seal, swimming in the sea…  
Happy seal, swim to me, time to go to sleep._

"How do you do that?" Zuko looks on in amazement.

"I don't _do_ anything, really. It's a sucking reflex babies have that calms them. Maybe the lullaby soothes her, too. Or maybe it serves to calm _me_. Babies can sense tension in their parents."

"Wow. Then I'm truly fucked."

"Zuko, you're not. You just need to relax a little."

"I just don't know what to do." He does the thing with his hair again, and Hakoda figures this must be some sort of nervous tic.

"Nobody does. You don't have to have all the answers to be a good father."

"But you seem to." There's something striking, yet sad in those golden eyes of his. _Kya's eyes_ , Hakoda realizes.

"Parenting is not like taking a test in school. Babies don't follow rulebooks or anything. It'd be more like… bending, I'd imagine. Go with the flow. Use your instincts. Trust yourself to do right by your kid. And give yourself some grace, too. You won't be a perfect parent. It's OK to mess up."

"But what if I mess up in the worst possible way? What if I—"

Hakoda hasn't forgotten Iroh's words. He's mulled them over more than once. "Zuko, would it help you to know that my father was a terrible person, too? That he always told me what a failure I was, that my brother, a _waterbender_ , was so much better than me. He never… hit me… but probably because I ran away from every argument we had. I brought him great shame, and he called me a traitor and a coward… and I swore I would never treat my children like that… _ever._ "

"Wow. I didn't know." Zuko rasps like a whisper is caught in his throat.

"Hardly anyone does. I doubt Sokka and Katara even know. Not all scars are worn on the outside, I suppose. It's easier to let the inside ones fester rather than heal, though."

At the slight rise in his voice and his obvious agitation, Kya shifts in Hakoda's lap and begins to fuss. The Chief looks over at Zuko as if this proves his point about babies sensing others' distress. Without waiting for an answer this time, he hands the girl over to her father.

Tentatively, Zuko reaches out for his daughter and cradles her in the crook of his elbow. She frowns at him at first, but quickly nestles in and lets out a contented sigh. Hakoda feels his chest swell with pride, another point proven, but he also notes the concern still etched in the Fire Lord's face.

"What do I tell her?" Zuko asks with an edge to his voice.

"About what?"

"About my face. I'm afraid… it'll scare her."

"Are you afraid she'll be scared of what you look like or how you got that way?"

"Yes."

"I doubt she'll care what you look like. Love has a way of concealing our blemishes. As to the other, I'd say, tell her the truth. Whenever you're ready… and if she is ready, too, of course."

"But then she will know what kind of monster my father was," he gulps. "And what kind of beast lies dormant inside of me."

Hakoda wishes Zuko could witness the beauty displayed before him now—a young father lightly kissing the top of his daughter's head, doing what all, _or most_ , fathers do—worrying about their children's future, wishing to protect them from harm at any and all cost.

"No, Zuko. I think she will see what I see," he says at last. "That you have defeated the monster… and tamed the beast."


	9. Breaking Hope

**A/N:** This is really only Zutara in that it fits with my head canon/universe where Zuko and Katara's children are Izumi and Senna (Korra's mother). So, if it's allowed to count, then this is for Zutara month, days 17-19: family, enchantment, and gifts. The backstory of Izumi's ex-husband and Iroh II's father comes from Lily Amelia's fic, _History, Let Us Be_ and her collection, _Tales of Four Nations_. Also, I make no claims to be able to write Azula well, but I do wonder what happened to her in _Legend of Korra_.

* * *

Young Iroh looks at the frail woman in the bed and chances a quick glance back at his mother standing in the doorway. Izumi gives her son a reassuring nod, so he shuffles forward slightly. He can count on one hand the number of times he's seen his great aunt, but they say it's a matter of days before she passes on, so he's supposed to say something to her. What, he doesn't know— _goodbye?_

Azula stares blankly out the window and doesn't acknowledge him at first. Then, without even looking at him, she speaks in a cool even tone. "You're Princess Izumi's boy, aren't you?"

"Yes m-m-ma'am," he answers. He's not sure why he would be nervous. She's just a sick old lady in a hospital bed. Perhaps it's because he's heard _stories._

"Well, let me get a good look at you," she barks.

He thinks she _could_ if she would just turn her head, but he does as he's told and circles around to the other side of the bed. From this vantage point, he can see his mother still standing in the doorway beyond. Her expression is guarded.

"Izumi was always my favorite niece," Azula says as she surveys her great-nephew.

"But what about Aunt Senna?" He berates himself as soon as the words leave his mouth. He should mind his manners, but it's hard to imagine playing favorites with family members.

"Too much Water Tribe in that one," Azula answers simply. "Your mother embodies Fire Nation prestige. Royalty is in her blood. Plus she married an upstanding Fire Nation noble, tell me, how is your father these days?"

Iroh retracts his earlier thought. One could easily play favorites with family members especially when some of them are rotten good-for-nothings.

"He's—" He catches his mother's stern look and slight shake of the head from across the room. He supposes the topic of his despicable father and the pain he's inflicted on them is not one for a person's deathbed. He searches for a way to change the subject.

Azula must have noticed the way his jaw clinched or seen something in his expression—or perhaps she is just as intuitive as they say. "Heh. Fathers. Fuck them. They're such royal fucks. They fucked us over, right? And I say we don't need them. They can just fuck off. Fuckin' assholes…" Her voice fades as she finishes her rant.

Iroh remains passive but silently counts the number of times his great aunt says the f-word. He sees Izumi's eyes widen, but really, she shouldn't be too shocked. He's heard his mother let out a worse string of expletives before. And Grandpa has quite a mouth on him, too.

The awkward silence only lasts a few beats. "Tell me, Iroh, is it?" He nods in response. "How old are you now?"

"Nine, ma'am. I'll be ten a few days before the solstice."

" _My_ birthday is on the summer solstice," she says. "Such perfection." She then sighs and closes her eyes.

Iroh looks questioningly over at his mother who just shrugs. A minute passes, and he thinks this may be the extent of his well wishes for an aunt he barely knows before he never sees her again. He's not sure how to feel about it. She looks a lot like Grandpa Zuko, actually, minus the scar and female, of course. A smaller, thinner version of their strong iconic Fire Lord. He knows she was once fierce and formidable. He wonders what happened.

Today is not a day for telling stories, though. He turns to walk away.

"I don't think I'll make it to my next birthday, nephew," she says.

"S-s-sorry." He turns back to face her, but for some reason can't look at her. He feels sad all of the sudden.

"Will you think of me on my birthday?"

"S-s-sure."

Azula sits up abruptly and rummages through a drawer in her nightstand. She leans over far enough that Iroh thinks she might fall, so he instinctively rushes to her aid, but in the time it takes him to reach her bedside, she's sitting upright again with a bundle of fabric in her lap.

"I have a birthday present for you." She unravels the cloth to reveal a green crystal about the length of his forearm.

Iroh takes the gem and rolls it around in his palm, mapping the places where it is smooth and where it is jagged. He finds it fascinating, _entrancing_.

"It's a war trophy, of sorts. From one of my greatest victories," she continues.

Iroh frowns at this. "But Grandpa says the war was—"

"OK FINE," she snaps. "It's an artifact. From the Earth Kingdom. There. Is that better?"

He nods.

"Earth Kingdom lore says the crystals are enchanted. I personally don't believe in that shit. I make my own destiny. But if you encounter blue ones, it supposedly means you'll find love. Red ones, death. Green ones, hope."

"Oh."

"It doesn't mean anything, kid. I just think it's a kickass crystal, so I thought you might like it. Besides it only _glows_ if you have hope anyway."

"Oh."

"And it's never glowed for me, not since—" Azula stops speaking and resumes looking out the window.

Iroh turns the crystal over in his hand once again. It has a weak spot, he notices. Without warning, he drops it on the ground. It catches the attention and stern glares of both his mother and great aunt when he does.

"Iroh!" Izumi gasps.

"Ungrateful little shit," Azula mumbles.

He has to crawl around on the floor to find it, but his plan works. He now has two crystals instead of one. He stands up, still bearing the scrutiny of the two women in the room. He tucks one crystal in the pocket of his tunic and the other carefully in the outstretched palm of the woman lying in the bed.

"There's still time," he says, his heart pounding in his chest. "For you to have hope."

He thinks maybe her eyes soften and with them, the hard lines that tell of an even harder life, but he can't be sure. He feels a warmth in his pocket, and a soft green light illuminates the room when he removes his crystal and carefully cradles it with cupped hands.

A tear rolls down Azula's glowing cheek.

Iroh smiles. Hope is a good feeling, he decides. Better than sadness.

As he follows his mother out the door, he pauses briefly to look back at his great aunt, quite possibly for the last time. Her eyes are closed now. She rests in peace.

And in her hand, a crystal glows green.


	10. Young Love, Part I

They say you never forget your first love. Katara realizes as she grows older that there are a lot of things from her youth she tries to hold on to, but most things fade away as life takes her in a different direction—to places _and people_ she never expected.

She'll never forget the first time their eyes met when the iceberg broke away that fateful day, when blue and gray supposedly sealed their destiny.

 _I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not._

And they never would be. Katara knows she loved Aang in some way—still does. But she couldn't love him in the way he wanted, and as the Avatar and the last airbender, he deserves more. _Everyone_ deserves a chance at true, passionate, self-sacrificing, toe-tingling love.

The kind of love she found with Zuko.

* * *

Zuko doesn't really count Mai as his first love, but she was his first kiss, and there's something to be said about sharing a certain level of intimacy with a person who knows where you came from. None of his new friends truly know his background, and part of him wonders if they did, would it scare them away?

Katara has heard enough, though, and she's still here. In some ways, she can even relate.

His childhood friendship with Mai—if one could call it that—would have made a good foundation for a relationship, which is why he tries to make it work. Because _she knows_. Right? But she doesn't relate. Or never tries to, at least. They've made sacrifices for each other, but in the end, it's not enough. There must be more to love, he decides. He is still young, though, so there is time to figure it out.

But he doesn't need more time. He already knows, and he's known for a while now.

* * *

 **A/N:** For Zutara Month, Day 27: Youth. Short, sweet, and to the point. I also had plans to introduce Aang and Mai's new loves, but that will have to be another chapter for another day, I think.


	11. Young Love, Part II

Aang is bouncing. He is literally bouncing. One would think this is just an airbender thing, but Katara knows something else is up.

"Hold on, Aang. Now slow down. You did _what_ now?"

"I joined the circus!"

"That's great, um. Congrats, Aang. But I thought you were looking for airbenders." She also wants to mention that he's the savior of the world and should be training, but she knows this advice would be lost on the twenty-year-old monk. Or 120-year-old monk, depending on one's perspective.

"That's just the thing, Katara. I found airbenders at the circus. Isn't that great?" Aang is _still_ bouncing.

Well, well. Why not kill two sparrowkeets with one stone?

"Katara?"

"Hmm?" She notices that he isn't bouncing anymore.

"You don't seem too happy for me? I thought you of all people would be—"

"I'm so sorry, Aang. Of course I'm happy for you. I'm just a little thrown by the circus thing, that's all. I thought you'd find lost airbenders at a… sacred temple… or something?"

A cloud passes over his gray eyes. "I tried that already. It was getting depressing, so I decided to do something fun for a change."

"Yeah, but the circus? Aang, you're so talented. It just seems like a—"

"He _IS_ talented, isn't he? You have _NO_ idea," Ty Lee says brightly as she tumbles in from out of nowhere.

"Oh, hi Ty Lee!" Katara tries to hide her shock at seeing the pink-clad acrobat. She could have guessed the connection, though, if she'd had time to think about it.

Ty Lee performs a breathtaking stunt that sends her flying into the air. Aang simply beams at her. Katara's heart skips a beat. _No way._

"Ty Lee is a—" she starts.

"Yup!" The Avatar is bouncing once again. "And so are all her sisters!"

"And my cousins, too!" Ty Lee adds with a shrill giggle.

Talk about killing seven sparrowkeets with one stone. That plus however many cousins there are.

"Have you told her, yet?" Ty Lee prompts.

Katara notices Aang's blush. "Tell me what?" she asks with a smirk on her face.

"Uhh, so, Ty Lee's sister, Ty Lin is expecting," Aang says with a shrug and a sheepish grin.

They are no longer talking sparrowkeets, apparently. There are lovebirds in the mix.

"That's great, Aang! Yours, I assume? I'm so happy you found somebody. And if she is of Air Nomad descent, then the likelihood that the child will be—"

"Ty Woo is pregnant, too!" Ty Lee chirps.

"What!?" Katara can tell from the look on Aang's face that it's true, and that the baby is his, too. What did her friend do? Find some sort of circus harem?

"And Ty Lum is late, you know." Aang groans at this last statement and rubs a hand across his face.

Nope, definitely not sparrowkeets. Rabaroos?

Ty Lee watches their exchange of embarrassed expressions with an air of curiosity. "I don't know what the big deal is. This is how the Air Nomads did things! Well, sort of. Instead of living in an air temple… or whatever, we live in a circus! How do you think my family got to be so big?"

Aang is still diverting Katara's gaze when he says, "It's a good way to repopulate the Air Nation, I guess?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Ty Lee being an airbender is not my original idea. I've seen it in a few other fics. Aang being a sex god is not my idea, either. Thanks, Queen TyZula, for planting that notion in my head, because I would have never arrived there on my own. He probably would have stayed twelve and clueless in my mind forever.

I do think that Aang would have been more of a free spirit than the type who would settle down with the first girl he ever met or fell in love with. It's actually _more_ responsible for him to have kids with multiple partners in order to repopulate the Air Nomads. I can see Ty Lee and company being OK with this for some reason. I dunno, something with the chi flow, perhaps. Events in Korra obviously solve this for us by making Aang a dead-beat dad and giving us harmonic convergence to rectify the lost airbender problem. I think I'd rather Aang have lots of hot sex, how about you?


	12. Young Love, Part III

Zuko knows he shouldn't be listening to their conversation, but the opportunity presents itself as he pulls his hood tightly around his face. Who wouldn't want to hear at least a snippet about their ex's life? He tells himself he just wants to be sure that Mai is happy. He is also curious if she has found someone. He wouldn't mind hearing about that as long as they aren't too specific. He forgets that Mai happens to be talking to Ty Lee a few tables over from him at the tea shop.

And he has no idea that Ty Lee has the scoop on his current girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. Oh, what a tangled spider-snake web they weave.

Mai sounds as thrilled as a cobra-sloth. That is, until Ty Lee's tale starts unraveling. Zuko thinks he might come undone, too.

"I dunno, Mai, Aang is just so… so… powerful." She lets out a breathy sigh.

"You're talking about the kid with the arrows." Mai intones.

"He's _not_ a kid. He's a man. Very much _a man_. With impressive girth. I can barely wrap my hand around—"

"OK, Ty, I get it. You can spare me the details."

Zuko hopes his own relief at Mai's response isn't too audible as he makes a half-hum, half-blowing noise like a buzzard wasp. It always stings a little bit to think about any advantage the Avatar might have over him. Well, aside from the whole four-element thing, of course. He knows he can satisfy Katara, and that she's never been attracted to Aang, but what if the airbending master decides to show off his... _assets?_

Ty Lee doesn't seem to take the hint. "And such flexibility, too. Oh, and endurance. Sometimes when it's me and Ty Lat and Ty Lao—"

Zuko coughs. And vows that Katara will never go near Aang again.

Mai flinches at the sound just as she cuts Ty Lee off again. "That's nice. I'm glad you've perfected your circus act. But sometimes, Ty, what happens backstage, should stay backstage."

"What about you, Mai? It was a pretty nasty breakup with Zuko. And then that rebound relationship with Kei Lo. Have you found anyone, yet?"

"Well, I joined a bounty-hunting team. The work is busy, so there's not much time for romantic pursuits."

Zuko knows about this venture since he set Mai up with June a few months ago. She needed a little spice in her life, he figured. Somewhere along the way, they pick up Jet, that asinine freedom fighter from the Earth Kingdom. Zuko concedes that if rounding up war criminals gave them all a sense of purpose, then why not kill two sparrowkeets with one stone?

"But what about that strawman? He was dreamy!" Ty Lee tweets.

"Strawman?"

"Umm, Ace? No, Flyboy?"

"You mean Jet."

"Oooh, right. I'd sure like to get him backstage. His aura was so dark, though. I wonder about propulsion with that one. Mmmm, jetstream." Ty Lee giggles.

Zuko suppresses a groan. He should have left a long time ago. There is no easy escape now, though.

"You're… just…" Mai lets out a noise of exasperation. "Well, I wouldn't know."

"Come on, Mai. Don't tell me you didn't? Not even once? You guys have been traveling together for months."

"Not with that assface, no."

Zuko isn't sure why, but he catches on immediately. It takes Ty Lee a few beats.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh! I _knew_ you were with someone. It's written all over your aura."

"I will say one thing." Mai shifts in her seat to glance over her shoulder. "June is _way_ better than Zuko ever was."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm not trying to make Ty Lee out to be a slut or anything. I just rewatched _Return to Omashu_ where she is first introduced, and she is adorable! But I think she would be more open and free about sexuality, embracing it as part of human nature and not some hush-hush topic. Or I could totally imagine her as a sex-therapist in a modern-day AU.

So, the Mai-June pairing idea came from none other than QueenTyZula who challenges me to think outside my Zutara box. Mai, June, and Jet as a bounty-hunting team comes from Emletish because she is my ultimate Zutara inspiration. Like I said in Young Love Part I, you never forget your first.


	13. Red Moon Rising

They'd fought another battle together and won, but Zuko's inner battle still raged on—the one where he'd take a lightening bolt for her but would never expect her to do the same. Katara sensed that something was wrong and suggested a stroll through the palace gardens.

Zuko cupped his hand over where her arm was hooked around his elbow, and they walked in companionable silence. Darkness had fallen by the time they reached the turtleduck pond.

Once they were settled next to each other on the ground, he leaned over for a quick kiss. "Katara, I owe you my life."

She laughed softly. "What was it you said? That seems to be a thing with us?"

"Katara, you _are_ my life."

"Mmm." She kissed him back.

Then, because it was Zuko, he began his usual dance of doubt. "When I said that I needed you, I didn't want you to think… it's not fair for me to ask so much… I would understand if—"

"Hey. I need you, too."

It was like music to his ears. "Really?"

"I do."

Those words—and the way she said them with such sincerity— _resonated._ They really should stop dancing around the subject of marriage.

"Katara, I would give you the world if I could. You deserve so much more than—"

"How about you start by giving me a nation?"

"Even if it gets bloody hot in the summer and never snows?"

"If it's surrounded by water, then I'll be okay."

"What if there's this hothead ruler with a fucked up family past?"

"Oh, I'm _especially_ interested in the hot ruler."

Zuko saw the desire flash in her eyes and knew she was about to start moving to different beat. But he was still shuffling his feet. "Katara… every time I turn around, I find out some new secret."

"Mmm, okay, so I'm interested in the hot, _mysterious_ ruler." She pushed his tunic off his shoulders. He hadn't noticed how she'd already managed to rid him of his sash.

"No, seriously. It's like bad stuff. I don't want to bring you into—ahhhhh."

"So you're telling me the hot, mysterious ruler is also _bad_?" She was undressing herself now, and Zuko was losing his ability to form coherent thought let alone actual words.

"But, Katara…"

"Shut up, Zuko." She then claimed his mouth with a kiss.

Soon he felt the cool grass underneath him as his vision filled with blue eyes, flowing hair, and bronze skin illuminated in the moonlight... fading moonlight... then reddish moonlight... "Uhh, Katara?"

"Are you still talking?" She was already on him, around him, daring him to speak again with the sultry look in her eyes and the tantalizing thrust of her hips.

Zuko groaned. "B-b-but the moon. It's..."

She steadied herself, making sure to keep her position, while arching her back to look up at the sky. As she did this, she ran a hand slowly, _seductively_ up one side her body. Zuko suddenly decided that he couldn't care less about the moon and its freakish color-changing disappearing act. Not when magic was happening right here in front of him.

"Oh. That's a blood moon," she said flatly.

Zuko shuddered beneath her. He had heard of it before, but he couldn't place it. Just that it didn't settle well with him for some reason.

She then leaned down to gently caress his face. "Don't look so worried. It's okay. The moon is just in the earth's shadow. It will pass soon. Besides, it just means the earth, the sun, and the moon are _aligned_ right now."

With the gestures she made with her body, he understood her meaning. But he couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bad omen. Something bad was going to happen—just when he had finally accepted that something good had come into his life. _  
_

Katara could tell she'd lost him, so she pulled away and settled down next to him to watch the eclipse pass. In the South Pole, they used to call it the Fire Moon, and it signaled an impending enemy attack. Maybe the blood moon meant something equally ominous in the Fire Nation. She heard him let out a sigh, like he had been holding his breath all this time, so she propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. She was going to ask him about the meaning, but then he said, "Oh good, there's the silver lining."

She saw what he was talking about—the sliver of shimmery moonlight that was emerging from behind the earth's shadow. "What?"

"It means there's hope? Right?"

"That's on a cloud, you dork." But when he looked immediately crestfallen, she added, "Zuko, you know I am the power of the moon and the power over the blood, right? So you have nothing to worry—mmmmph."

He kissed her, deep and desperate. Because while the moon had been consumed by darkness in the sky, he had been consumed by his own thoughts. About letting go of fears. About making the most of every opportunity. And about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Their love gave him hope, and as long as he had that, they could face anything— _together._ There was still a question he wanted to ask her, but for now, he was done talking.

Sun and moon realigned once more. Fires of passion crashed into waves of pleasure. And when they peaked, it was powerful—like the tides that reach their highest under the command of the moon and the position of the sun. And no matter what remained unspoken between them, they both knew they were together as one.

* * *

 **A/N:** For Zutara Month: "red" and "pillow talk" adapted from a chapter in _Rising Tide._


	14. From the Other Side

**A/N:** This is not really Zutara, either, except that it directly correlates with _The Dragon and the Wolf_ , Chapter 14. But instead of Zuko's perspective, it's told from both Malina and Hakoda's perspective. And it's pretty steamy, so if the older characters getting it on (or the Hakoda-Malina pairing) is not your thing, then you might want to pass on this one. But for the record, I don't think people in their forties are "old" or even too old to have babies like it says here. But when the Water Tribe folk start their families so young (Yue was betrothed at 16, so yeah...) then their children are likely grown when they're forty. That's all I'm sayin.

* * *

It wasn't the sound of a door closing or the rustling of fabric and _thud_ of boots hitting the ground. Malina had become used to unannounced visitors over the past couple of weeks with the Fire Lord occupying her spare bedroom. It wasn't even the slight cough or clearing of his throat that caught her attention initially, because said Fire Lord made all kinds of strange noises in his coma-induced sleep. She was awake and only half listening while lying in bed, when a dark silhouette appeared in her doorway. He was home.

It was his smell that gave her the first clue—sweat and sea salt and something else that was uniquely his that she couldn't describe. She debated on whether or not to wait for him in bed or rise to greet him. She always found his smell to be arousing. She licked her lips in anticipation of what would hopefully come next— _a taste._

* * *

Hakoda removed his parka and even the underlayer since he had broken a sweat hiking back from the docks with all his gear. He kicked off his boots and rinsed his hands in the water basin in the kitchen. It was early, so he wasn't sure if Malina would be awake, yet. The morning air had tickled his throat, so he suppressed a cough and quietly cleared his throat, hoping that he didn't disturb her or any other sleeping guests. He wasn't sure if the Fire Lord was still here or not.

He stood in her doorway, drinking in the sight of her. He thought maybe he could stare at her for hours like this, her long and lean figure, slightly tousled auburn hair, shoulders draped in a silk robe, and bronze legs tangled in the bedsheets.

* * *

"Are you coming in or not?" she finally asked.

"I was waiting for your permission," he said softly.

She smirked at him. "Since when does the Chief have to ask for permission."

He bowed his head and took one step forward. "You know that when I enter this room, I am stripped of my title. I am yours."

She stood and sauntered over toward him. He was pleased to see that the robe was the only thing she was wearing. He reached back to close the door behind him with a little more force than he intended. She saw the hunger in his eyes as he surveyed the sash that was loosely tied around her waist—the only barrier between him and his desire.

"Well… then let me strip you of a few other things." She ran her hands over his already bare chest and then down to his waistline. Her sash fell to the floor at the same time as his pants. He hissed as the cold air hit his throbbing erection.

With the panels of her robe now open, and her chest fully exposed to him, he let out a deep-throated growl. He grabbed her hips, and she half-expected to be thrown on the bed, but instead he shoved her against the side wall.

His kisses along her jawline and collarbone started out soft and teasing despite the forceful grinding of their hips.

"Mmm, Koda, I missed you," she murmured.

He bit her neck.

"Ahh-ah-ah, you know it drives me wild when you do that."

He claimed her mouth then, and gripped her ass, guiding himself in. She hooked one leg over his elbow and snaked her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with equal fervor. She pushed off—of him or the wall, she wasn't sure which—and slammed back down.

His smile grazed across her teeth, then his teeth grazed across her neck once again. She arched her back in response. He knew what she wanted. He pressed in deeper then pulled out almost completely before slamming into her again. A moan escaped her lips. He knew how she liked it.

Their pace and breaths quickened, and she didn't know where to put her hands to brace herself against his relentless thrusting. She palmed the wall, then fisted his hair, then just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, something— _someone_ —brought things to an abrupt halt.

"Oh for Agni's sake."

"Is someone here?" Hakoda positioned himself so that they were more steady, although he was still seated inside her.

Malina stifled a whimper. She almost couldn't stand the feeling of fullness without the friction. "Yes, Firelord Freefall. Remember?" she panted.

Hakoda, however, seemed completely unphased by the predicament—the intermission of their actions, not to mention their _audience_. "How is he? Katara said he was making progress in her last letter."

"He's fine. All healed up, Katara says. Was supposed to move out today, in fact. But you're home earlier than I expected." Malina wondered if they were going to keep talking. Or keep fucking. Or _what._

Much to her chagrin, Hakoda chose the former. "My helmsman said we had the favor of the full moon in our travels last night."

She smirked at him, half-daring him to keep talking and hoping instead he would start _moving._

"Don't look at me like that," Hakoda scolded. "It's the Milk Moon which means the mother's blessing."

She rolled her eyes. "The blessing of whose mother? And what does that have to do with traveling?"

"I don't know," he responded, exasperated. "The mother of the sea, perhaps? Doesn't the North have a similar symbol for this moon cycle?"

"Oh yes. It is the hare moon. It also points to the mother, but for the blessing of fertility."

At this, he pulled out and gently lowered her to the floor.

"You're not… trying to tell me something, are you?"

He looked afraid, so she answered quickly, flippantly—so as to mask her own fear. "Oh no, of course, not. I'm too old to be having babies. Besides, I'm a waterbender. I take care of that sort of thing. So… can we get back to it?"

Hakoda let out a sigh and then a laugh. "But I thought Kanna said you were the spirit of the hare?"

"Me? Shy and scared shitless like a helpless little bunny?" Malina hoped she sounded convincing. "Seriously, Hakoda. Plus, you know I don't believe in all that spirit animal stuff."

He lightly brushed a few locks of her hair away from her face. "Right. I know. Doesn't seem like a wolf and a hare would be very compatible."

She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, figuring they were done here. He never called himself a wolf in the bedroom no matter how much he acted like one. "I don't believe in the power of the full moon, either," she added.

The hungry, _animalistic_ look returned to his eyes. "I'll show you power that will make you see stars."

"Make me a believer, baby." She slid her hands over his muscled chest and arms, waiting for him to overpower her, like he said. She expected to be pushed against the wall again, but instead, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. At first she was confused, because he was back to those light, teasing kisses along her collarbone. A swirl of his tongue and a sucking sensation around her nipple drew a quick gasp, though, and as his lips began to trail down further, she now knew exactly what he meant by _power._

The kind that rendered her completely and wonderfully powerless.

* * *

It only bothered Hakoda slightly that the walls were apparently thin enough for Zuko to hear everything from the next room over. But the young Fire Lord was _a man_ now, and under certain humiliating circumstances—maybe a conversation at dinner or something—it came to light that he and Katara were already intimate anyway. Perhaps such knowledge would bother some fathers, but not Hakoda. Not really. Although, he wouldn't be able to handle it if the situation were reversed, of course.

He considered waiting since Malina said Zuko would be leaving that day. They could always finish what they had started later. But the way her brow furrowed in disappointment… and her chest heaved with exertion… and her heat clinched around him… no, he wanted her _now._ He had already waited so long.

The baby thing deterred him slightly, though. The hinting at pregnancy sent a jolt of fear through him, but also something else— _excitement?_ No, Malina was right. They were too old to be having babies.

But not too old to be doing _this._ And if Zuko could hear them, then he just needed to man up and deal with it. They could at least move away from the wall, though.

Malina looked surprised when Hakoda took her to the bed. He'd promised her power but not really with a plan in mind. She spread her legs in anticipation of what they had been doing, no doubt, but the smell of her sex sent a jolt of a different kind through him. He needed to _taste_ her.

He started at her collarbone because he loved kissing her there. Next, her breasts, because he loved when the centers perked up and how chill bumps seemingly spread from any kind of touch—a lick, a nibble, a suck. Her shivers traveled with him as he trailed kisses down her stomach and circled around to her inner thigh.

Here, he bit her, and leaned his head against her knee to watch her reaction. She was already writhing in pleasure. And although her scent was unbearably intoxicating, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her just yet.

When he didn't make his move, she tilted her head up and glared at him. "Are you coming in or not?"

"I was waiting for your permission," he said before lightly nipping at her other thigh.

"Chief, I swear you need to command some respect around here. People might think you're—ahh, ahh…"

She threw her head back after one hot breath and swipe of his tongue. He knew what she wanted. Quick flicks across her clit, and she was fisting the sheets and digging in her heels. He knew how she liked it. He gripped her quivering thighs and plunged in and out, in and out, relishing her wetness and bringing her closer to her climax.

He finished her off with his fingers because she always needed a little more friction at the end. He liked it better, too, because it was a full feast for the senses as he licked his lips, savoring what lingered there… worked his fingers across swollen sweltering flesh until he literally _felt_ her come… listened to the most beautiful noises she made, even when she cursed his name in the heat of the moment… and breathed in the mixture of sweat and sex and something else that was uniquely hers.

His favorite part was watching her, though. And knowing that this woman rendered him completely and wonderfully powerless.


	15. Fantasy Part II

**A/N:** This is for Zutara Smut Week 2017. Yes, that's a thing, apparently! And I've been meaning to "flesh out" this scene from _The Dragon and the Wolf_ , Chapter 27.

* * *

There were no boys close to her age in her tribe growing up except for her brother, so Katara didn't think about dating or marriage that much. It was hard to imagine the future with the war going on, but Katara knew that if she were to find a husband someday, he'd have to come from somewhere else. The Northern Water Tribe, most likely, since she'd probably have to go there anyway to learn waterbending. Gran Gran hinted that their sister tribe may not see fit to train her, though, while stating outright that they would most certainly find her a husband.

That wasn't a bad thing… _or was it?_

Gran Gran seemed to think so. With limited knowledge and zero experience, Katara had no idea what to think. Sokka was annoying and stinky and sexist. She could never marry anyone like that. Shouldn't she find another waterbender—to increase the likelihood of passing on the genes to their children? But Katara didn't even know all the specifics on how babies were made, _not really._

It was her friend, Nutha, who let her in on some fascinating, yet somewhat disturbing details. Katara wouldn't realize until much later just exactly how Nutha knew so much.

"Does it hurt?"

"At first. It burns. But we're surrounded by ice, Katara. So relief is readily available."

"But it'll feel good eventually?"

"Yeah. There are places, spots to rub that feel really good. You can find them yourself, actually."

"R-r-really?"

"Yeah, for me it helps to think about something… sexy. Like a really hot guy is rubbing me there instead. You should try it sometime."

So, Katara developed her fantasy. She's in an igloo, so there's plenty of snow and ice for "relief." And the "really hot guy" is some waterbender from the North, but all she can see is his blue parka as she imagines intense blue eyes adoring her and _his_ fingers furiously working her. Privacy was hard to come by in her small village, though, so she only managed to find the right time and place to experiment with this vision once before her whole world was turned upside down.

True, an orgasm could do that, too—upend someone to where nothing makes sense, yet the end goal feels so clear, so certain—like destiny. Everything crashes while building at the same time. It burns _and_ it freezes.

Meeting Aang felt like destiny to Katara. But she wasn't always so certain with him. And one day, everything they'd built together came crashing down.

With Zuko, though, she burned.

 _But he's not a waterbender. Not even Water Tribe. It doesn't make sense._

That thought remained frozen in her mind, along with a fantasy, long since forgotten.

* * *

Several years later, she brought Zuko back to her homeland for his second visit there. Neither of them wanted to acknowledge his first. Katara often wondered if she went back to her innocent, virgin, Fire Nation-hating self that day, would she even believe the words she might say? That she and Zuko had been dating for over a year, and that they'd fucked on Ember Island beaches, near the turtle duck pond in the palace gardens, on red silk sheets in royal chambers, and countless times on the Fire Lord's desk.

But never in the South Pole.

And as circumstances would have it on this particular trip, they wouldn't get to, either.

Zuko knew about the igloo fantasy by now, and Katara saw the hungry way he looked at them during their stay. She also shared the depth of his disappointment when they were forced to sleep apart, and his accommodations were none other than the iconic ice hut, of course.

So when the opportunity presented itself sometime later on Kyoshi Island, Katara created their own igloo in a secluded cove with the sea at her command. Its sole purpose was immediately known when smoldering golden eyes caught hers and then slowly raked across her body.

 _His are not blue, though. Like in my fantasy._

Zuko's clothes weren't blue, either, and there was sand instead of snow. And he wasn't even her husband! Everything was terribly wrong about this picture, and he could sense it, too… and so, because he's Zuko, he did the craziest thing.

He proposed.

Then the igloo melted with a wave of her hand, and her doubts washed away with it. She was ready to give herself fully to this man—her fiancé—and this new fantasy they were creating together.

The color of the clothes and even the nations they represented didn't matter once they were stripped from sweating bodies and cast to the ground. Zuko's half-lidded gaze continued to scale the length of her before his fingers danced across bronze bare skin. She reached toward him to return the gesture, but in a sudden and swift motion, he cupped her breast with one hand and grabbed her ass with the other while claiming her lips with a searing kiss. She pressed herself into him, trapping his erection between them and eliciting a needy moan from his mouth into hers.

That was all it took for him to lower them to the ground and push her back into the sand. She opened herself to him, so ready and wanting, but he paused to look at her position and frowned. She knew he was thinking of a certain Ember Island encounter and much frustration involving the sand.

She laughed out loud. All this time she couldn't imagine anything worse than fucking in the freezing cold snow.

He quirked a brow at her, and then almost without warning, he encircled her waist with a fiery grip and flipped her over so that she was on her hands and knees. One of his hands slipped down between her legs and found that spot she'd learned about so many years ago, but only he knew how to manipulate until she melted.

While he teased her clit with practiced fingers, his other arm snaked around her midsection to pinch a pert nipple. She hadn't exactly been thrilled about the new position since she liked to look at him and well, touch him, too, but the attention he lavished in all the right places had earned him forgiveness for the time being.

Besides, his throbbing cock pressed into the cleft of her ass served as the ultimate arousal. She knew what was coming, but she didn't know _when._ Patience was never the young Fire Lord's virtue, though, so after a soft nibble or two on her shoulder, he pushed himself inside her.

He started slowly as if testing different angles. When he hit just the right spot, Katara found herself fisting the sand for some sort of anchor. She clinched around him and let out a half-moan, half-whimper. It was signal enough for him to quicken his thrusts, gripping her hips to guide him as he pulled out and slammed back in, hard and fast.

 _So. Fucking. Good. Although at this pace, he probably won't last long._

Except that he did. Katara's knees started to tremble as she felt her climax rising. She leaned over to press her forehead into her folded arms, and just that subtle movement provided a new sensation that sent her over the edge. There was sand in her hair and sand in her mouth, but Tui and La be damned, she didn't care. She'd find a way to build igloos out of sand if it meant she could ride this wave forever.

And with Zuko, it felt like forever. Like _destiny._

"FUCK. Yes, _Zuko!_ YES!" she cursed.

His release followed soon after along with his own proclamation.

"Katara… I love you."

And he said it more like a prayer.


	16. The Beach Revisited

There seems to be some fascination with having sex on a beach. That Ember Island reveals the "true you," and the truth is that everyone comes here to get laid. Zuko suspects even Azula has an agenda with the way she talks about _dominating the earth_ with Chan.

Of course, that was before they wreck his party. Admittedly, though, after an evening of fireside chats with _friends_ and putting a couple of pretty boys in their proper place, Zuko is feeling pretty good. Or well, _better_ , at least.

Afterward, he brings Mai back to their campfire which had died down to a purplish glow of smoldering embers. It's romantic, he thinks. He's still confused on where they stand in their so-called relationship, but this is the most responsive she's been to _anything._

It's his first time, and he's nervous. Mai doesn't mask her frustration at his fumbling, although she acts equally as awkward. Zuko realizes it's over almost before it even began, because while his body went through the motions— _rather quickly_ —his mind is a million miles away. Or maybe only a few miles away—back at the Capital, where he is more concerned about his performance as prince than boyfriend.

Mai stands quickly and tries to brush off the sand stuck to her sweat-slicked thighs. There is so much sand, and it is everywhere, in places it really shouldn't be. Mai is even kicking it back at him as she storms off.

Zuko hates the sand. He hates the beach. And if Ember Island has revealed anything, he wants to love the next person he gives himself to—that is, if he is even capable of finding love. He suspects not.

* * *

He is surprised to find Mai sitting near the rock pathway leading up to their beach hut. He hears Azula moaning loudly, and then he knows why. He fights everything in him to turn around and leave, but he should say something to her, at least.

"Chan?" he asks, not really wanting to know.

Mai raises an eyebrow. "Really, Zuko?"

The answer comes in the form of Ty Lee's shrill giggles. Zuko feels the color drain from his face.

"You wouldn't be so shocked if you'd paid attention," Mai intones.

Fire flares in his blood at this—at nearly everything she says, really. He grits his teeth. "It's not like I've been here, Mai. And it's not like Azula talks to me like a real person, either."

"Intuition has never been your strong suit, Zuko."

He decides she must be right, because he has NO idea what she's thinking _ever._ "So... are we a couple... or what?"

She sighs, exasperated. "Confidence has never been your strong suit, either."

"I thought it's what you wanted..."

She seethes at this, and he recognizes the restrained emotions. He did wish she would express herself more—maybe if he knew she felt _something_ , he would, too.

"Zuko, you need to figure out what _you_ want."

* * *

What Zuko wants more than anything is to Not. Fuck. This. Up. He's been secretly dating Katara for a few months, now, and he is electrified by her every touch. Agni, all she has to do is _look_ at him a certain way, and it drives him wild. They've shared secret kisses in the palace gardens, behind closed doors of unoccupied conference rooms, and pretty much anywhere else they can manage without getting caught. It's proving more difficult, though, as a neediness hums through their veins. Hands start to roam. Clothing is pushed aside. Gasps echo in empty corridors.

The time has come. And Zuko will do it right. He hasn't invited her to his chambers, yet, because he knows exactly what will happen when they get there, and he wants to make sure it's perfect.

And it's _almost_ perfect. There are candles and roses and champagne. Katara does not scoff at his romantic attempts. She receives them, relishes them, and best of all, responds to them. In their desperation, things happen more quickly than he would have hoped, but then it happens again... and again... and _again._

Zuko doesn't want the beach and someone else's idea of sexy. He can definitely do without the sand and its chafing. And even the revelation of one's true self happened while wrapped up in red silk sheets and smooth bronze legs, with thoughts of Ember Island a million miles away.

* * *

Naturally, Katara would insist on a beach tryst on their next trip to the Fire Nation's iconic vacation spot. Because it feels good to be close to her element, she says. Because it's where she first got to know him, she adds. And because they can't keep their hands off each other, they take every opportunity they can get. Zuko relents to a beach _sparring_ session to appease her, in full knowledge of where that would land them, of course. Rolling around in the damn sand, fighting for dominance.

She wins.

And even with the roughness at his backside, he's never seen anything more beautiful than her bare form framed by sun-kissed curls moving above him. It took a fair amount of aggression to pin him there and claim him with her body. But as tension builds and then breaks with release, he wonders what compelled him to fight her in the first place.

They find sand in all sorts of crevices for days, and both complain loudly about it. The rest of their Ember Island visit is spent _recovering_ in bed with tender lovemaking, kissing and caressing raw and sunburnt skin.

* * *

They're officially engaged now, as of 30 seconds ago, and Zuko is in hot pursuit to seal the deal. He wants nothing to come between them—literally and metaphorically speaking—as he strips off her clothing and pulls her closer to him.

Except they're on a beach again. And of course, there's sand. And a jumble of memories that suddenly surface to make him feel uncertain. If intuition wasn't his strong suit, then was this really the right thing? For him, sure, but for her? And since he lacked confidence, too, he worried about the past, present, and future all in the span of the one minute it took for Katara's gestures to convince him otherwise.

When she lay there before him, open and ready to receive him— _all_ of him, he knew this was right. It has _always_ felt right. He flipped her over, though, to gain access to all the spots he knew would make her writhe in pleasure—a swirl and a flick of her swollen clit, a tease and a pinch of her ample breast, and a bite to the soft sweet skin in the dip of her shoulder.

When he entered her, she felt like the warmth of the sun and the depth of the sea, their worlds and elements combined. They didn't usually fuck in this position, despite their inclination toward frequency and creativity... hell, even scenery. Zuko marveled as he watched _this_ scene unfold—his throbbing cock pulling out from her slick folds and then slamming back into her tight heat while her whole body convulsed with her rising climax.

"FUCK! Yes, _Zuko_. YES!"

Her words sent him over the edge, too, but he also heard them as the answer to his question. _Yes, Zuko. My answer has always been yes._

* * *

 _ **A/N:** _ Written for Zutara Smut Week 2017 with some attention given to the prompts: _dominance, virginity, embers, and aggression._ A little TyZula thrown in there for my pal, QueenTy, and I suppose it may be obvious but the last segment corresponds with _Fantasy Part II_ and Chapter 27 of _The Dragon and the Wolf._ Sorry for the Maiko intro, though. I'm not anti-Mai, btw. I think she has an interesting backstory and could use a lot more character growth than given in canon. I'd love to see her in a relationship that spurs that growth.


	17. Thyme for Tea

For Zutara Smut Week, "Tea Shop." Refers back to _Rising Tide_ chapters 22-23 and will likely become a scene/chapter in _Silver Lining_.

* * *

"Zuuuuuuko, are you sure about this?" Katara perches on the window ledge, her gaze shifting warily between the wall they just scaled and the darkened apartment her fiancé just entered.

Zuko can barely make out her form save for silvery moonlight reflecting in brilliant blue eyes. There's a wild look about her, one he hasn't seen in a while. Damn, he has always loved her in black.

"Uncle said it was fine. No one is staying here right now." He summons a flame to light the candles and lanterns scattered about the room in their usual places. He takes in the meager furnishings and modest décor. Not much has changed.

Except _everything_ has. He removes a simple black mask, remembering another day, a different mask in this City of Walls and Secrets. He could have arrived here as Fire Lord with grand reception. He could have even presented Katara as his betrothed.

But that's not what they need right now. They need to be alone. To scale walls in secret, shrouded in shadows. "A little tea for two?" Iroh said with a wink when he handed Zuko the key to the Jasmine Dragon. Uncle always knows.

Sure, it would have been simpler to use the front door. But certainly not as sexy.

"That's funny." Zuko rummages through shelves and baskets, releasing a layer of dust into the air. "No tea."

Katara removes her own mask to reveal her characteristic smirk. "Isn't there an entire tea shop just below us?"

"Y-y-yeah."

"Let's go, then."

The apartment was one thing, tinged with familiarity, but _this_ feels like breaking and entering. He thinks maybe Katara shares his uncertainty as she surveys the abandoned kitchen, illuminated only by the moon's soft light. Her eyes settle briefly on a lone teapot positioned precariously on a drying rack before pinning him with a look he knows all too well.

"So, Fire Lord. I know how you like your tea in the morning," she purrs. "But how do you like it at night?"

He perfectly understands her meaning. He simply wishes they could go back upstairs. It's not that he doesn't like tea. It's just that this place _reeks_ of it—combined with a little Dai Li.

She furrows her brow. "Zuko, don't look so worried. You said yourself no one was here. The shop is closed. We won't be interrupted… like last time."

There had been lots of interruptions recently, including bad memories, to any kind of intimacy. It's the reason they are here. But she's thinking of one time specifically, he knows. In his office… the discussion of tea… when Iroh barged in…

Uncle is far away now, back in the Fire Nation. And Ba Sing Se? It needs to be reclaimed… for the two of them, anyway. Because Zuko often wonders what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted _that_ day.

He realizes he's spent too much time thinking and not enough _doing_ , so now he plans to make up for it— _all_ of it, if he can. Within seconds, he flicks his wrist toward the sconce on the wall, closes the distance between them, and pins her against the counter. A tea cup crashes to the ground. She flinches but not from the sound. Zuko is already biting her bottom lip, grasping at raised flesh through thin fabric, and grinding his hips into hers.

"S-s-slow down," she pants. "I want to s-s-savor this."

Zuko pulls back to look at her and remembers. She had referred to morning tea, hadn't she? Not that night just before when he'd taken her forcefully. And other times since had been hasty and needy. But tonight they have time. To brew. To steep. To appreciate the art of making… tea?

This gives him an idea. But Uncle can never find out, he'll never hear the end of it. Zuko shakes his head and laughs. At the Jasmine Dragon of all places…

Before Katara has a chance to ask what is so funny, he gently grips the back of her thighs and lifts her on top of the counter. She instinctively lets her knees fall open, and he knows what she really meant by _savor_. And oh, he intends to, her _flavor_ is hard to resist. But, it would have to wait… because there is a _process._

He massages along toned legs and all the way up to the waistband of her pants where he tugs teasingly, but releases and grabs her hands instead. She pouts at this as he expects her to, but she _asked_ for slow, so…

He lightly nibbles each knuckle and then extends one of her palms to place tender kisses there and on the soft flesh of the inside of her wrist. She sighs appreciatively at his careful attention and rotates her hand to stroke the stubble underneath his chin. She traces his jaw line, tickles the tip of his ear, then threads her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Their eyes meet, his intense and searching and hers hooded and wanting. It is time to begin.

"Katara, do you know how tea is made?" he asks.

"Mmm, something involving heat and water?" She raises an eyebrow and arches her back, and it's enough to make Zuko want to abandon the plan altogether.

Why bother, anyway? Sokka was _the plan_ guy. And his uncle was the teamaster. Thinking about the two of them, however, serves to quell the pressing desire to rip off her clothes and ravish her right then and there. He draws in a deep breath.

"Well, it starts with a bud… and two perfect leaves. There is a special plucking technique… y'know. When the tea leaves are at their peak." He stares hard at her breasts, then closes his eyes, expecting her to laugh.

There is only the sound of rustling fabric followed by a sigh. He slowly opens his eyes to a most glorious sight. Her bare chest heaves in front of him as she sighs again.

"Would you show me? The technique?" She is not laughing, not even teasing. This is apparently her cup of tea, and she's taking it seriously.

Not too gentle, but not too rough, Zuko takes a bud in between finger and thumb. He rolls it, then pinches slightly, causing it to perk up even more. She moans and leans into where the base of his palms are now supporting the underside of ample breasts. He kneads them, then caresses the curves with a feather light touch before beginning the harvest all over again. Step two, then?

"Once the leaves are picked, they need a little more pressure. And a little breaking. This prepares for the release of optimal flavor."

At this, he squeezes harder and faster. Then his mouth is on her, suckling at first, then biting, then kissing away the pain. Her hands rake through his hair, and her heels dig into his back. She's getting worked up, and this is good. Very good. All part of the process.

"Next, we have to check on the moisture." Without further preamble, he plunges a hand down the front of her pants, finding her wetness and easily sliding a finger in. "In order to obtain the right levels, there has to be agitation."

"Zukooooooooo." She starts to push back and away at the movement of his hand, but only to wriggle herself free of her pants. With his other hand, he slides them down and off her legs, but when he bends over, he is nearly overtaken by the scent of her arousal.

He decides he can't stand it any longer. "And there is a heating process that helps the tea release its juices."

There is another crash as something else falls off the counter. Katara leans back, trying to brace herself before Zuko finally sweeps in to savor her. He wants to say something about the sun that dries the tea leaves as he blows hot breath across her swollen core. He could also mention how the tea is baked to set the flavor, but for now, he concentrates on bringing the heat and enjoying the feast.

Damn, he loves the way she tastes. And the way she melts at first, relaxed and receiving before completely freezing, tensed and shivering. He licks and flicks and sucks and swirls until she is completely undone, rendering the process complete.

Or so he thinks.

He steps back and wipes his chin with the back of his sleeve. He sets his erection free and pumps himself a few times, how could he not? Because, damn, that was hot…

He doesn't expect it so soon, but Katara launches herself to her feet. Her hand replaces his, and her lips press to his ear. "We don't have tea in the South Pole, but we do something similar with five-flavor soup. Can I show you?"

"S-s-sure." Zuko thinks with her hand around his shaft moving like that, he'd let her do almost anything.

"Not much grows down South," she begins. "Only plants that are hardy enough to withstand the cold."

Her pace quickens, her grip tightens. Zuko reverses their position so he can lean against the counter to keep himself hardy—no, steady? He's already so, so hard.

"You can pluck the leaves of tarragon just fine." She kisses him, then bites his lip, but never stops working him. He might lose it before she's done with her explanation. He's too far tarra-gone. Uncle would laugh at that one. The thought brings him back if only for a moment.

"But thyme?" she continues. "Thyme is different. It has to be stripped."

He whimpers when she releases his cock to yank his shirt over his head. She runs cool hands over his muscled chest, lingering ever so briefly on a star-shaped scar. He closes his eyes and tries to relish the touch, but he _really_ wants her attention elsewhere. She knows, of course. She kisses him softly on the lips before jerking his pants down and kissing him _there._

What was she saying again? Something about…tea? No, time? It's time for tea?

When he sees those big blue eyes looking back up at him, he knows time is not really on his side. His knees almost buckle when she strokes him again. "With thyme, you remove the leaves by stripping the stalk. It's a long, fluid motion. Like this."

He watches his throbbing flesh disappear inside her mouth a few times before securing a vice grip on the counter's edge and throwing his head back. "Ahh-ahh, Kataraaaaaaaaaaaaa."

She is just as skilled and relentless with her tongue as he had been. She licks and flicks and sucks and swirls until he is completely undone, rendering the process complete. He doesn't realize it at first, but she takes him in fully at his peak. He means to pull out, but his hips are seized with his release.

Then his legs do give out, and he slides down to the floor where she's kneeling beside him. She's licking her lips, and he aims to apologize.

"Mmmmm. Soupy," she says.

They stare at each other for a few beats before erupting into laughter. He tackles her to the floor, and they become a tangle of weary limbs and sweat slicked bodies, trying to avoid shards of broken serveware. They finally settle with Zuko half-propped up against the counter and Katara nestled under his chin. Some time passes... or is it thyme? Zuko still isn't sure he knows what that is.

"Only you would use a tea analogy while having sex in a tea shop," Katara eventually murmurs into his chest.

"M-m-me? You started this thing! And what about you… with the... the _soup_ and all that?"

She smirks at him. "It was a little cheesy, I'll admit…"

"Hmm, I wonder what the process is for making cheese? Doesn't it involve churning… with a big stick?"

"That's butter, you idiot."

"Ohhhhh. I like butter, though. Tastes good. Very, uhh, slippery."

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"Just shut up and fuck me."


	18. Soulmate Search

**A/N:** If this looks familiar to you, it's because I also posted it in _One Shot Wonders_ for a competition prompt per "Soulmate AU." But I like to keep all my Zutara shorts in one place, so... This pulls inspiration from the _Black Mirror_ episode "Kill the DJ," but you don't need to watch that show to follow along, and I diverge enough that there aren't any spoilers.

* * *

Zuko shivered despite feeling flushed and slumped further down in his seat. He secretly wished the booth in the restaurant would swallow him whole and transport him safely back to his living room couch. He pulled out his phone again to check the dating app icon for any alerts, and the small numbers at the top of the screen screamed at him.

7:03 PM

 _She's late. She's probably not coming at all._

Zuko clicked a button, and his screen switched back to black. Like a dismal pocket-sized mirror, it reflected his nervous expression, seemingly accentuated by the large burn scar across his left eye—something he had neglected to mention in his online dating profile. Carefully chosen words coupled with a strategically posed photo only showed his good side, of course. This was obviously going to backfire on the first date, which should be any minute now…

"Hi, so sorry I'm late!"

Zuko drew in a breath at the same time she did—when her eyes settled ever so briefly on his marred face.

 _She thinks I'm horrid. It'll never work out. Not when she looks like that._

"Katara." She let out the breath she had been holding. "My name is Katara. But I guess you knew that already. Um, have you ordered, yet? Because I'm starving. I've never been here before. Is the food good? Did you pick the restaurant or did you use the app? Oh God, I'm talking too much. So sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous, uhhh—"

"N-n-no, you're f-f-fine," Zuko managed. "I s-s-stutter when I'm nervous apparently."

Katara laughed, but it sounded shaky and forced. Zuko didn't care, though, because whether it was genuine or not, it was beautiful. _She_ was beautiful. He had no idea why the dating app had matched them. She probably shouldn't waste her time.

"Do you want to eat first or check how much time the app gives us?" she asked.

Zuko expected this question, yet still fumbled on his answer. The dating app intended to make things more straightforward—easier, even—but he had his doubts on how the system worked. His response would be very telling, as if Katara wasn't already examining his soul with those striking blue eyes of hers.

"Uhh sure, let's check and see," he said finally. It was better to know anyway.

Katara whipped out her phone, and her face immediately fell. Zuko's stomach flip-flopped as he figured they'd been marked "soulmates" or something. Why else would she look so disappointed?

She clicked a button, and Zuko stared hard at the ominous black screen resting in her palm.

"Twelve hours," she said with a sigh.

"Oh." Zuko caught her eye, and she quickly looked away.

It was the "one night stand" designation, when the app basically said to get it on with this person and then get on with it. Most couples didn't proceed at this point since it indicated an incompatibility status. Others would use the time as a learning opportunity—comparing between previous dates and preparing for the next. And of course, no-strings-attached casual sex was often on the table. Even though this was just his first match with this app, Zuko was ready to ditch the dating scene altogether.

 _Twelve hours? Why did we even meet up in the first place?_

"Do you really want to eat here?" Katara's voice interrupted his internal pity party.

"Huh?"

"Like, did _you_ pick this restaurant or did Soulmate?"

"The app did, why?" Zuko asked, perplexed.

 _She still wants to eat together? Hmm, she did say she was starving._

"Because I know a better place just around the corner. Come on!"

Zuko briefly checked his phone before slipping out of the booth to follow her. The time was 7:21 PM. Then Soulmate chimed in with a notification.

They had 11 hours and 56 minutes left.

Zuko hoped this night would never end. Somewhere between shared glasses of sake, a bottomless bowl of steamed edamame, and the house special nigiri, a sense of fun and freedom settled between them. It even felt a little _naughty_ , like they were defying destiny by not following the app's suggestion for dinner. They were also enjoying one another's company… _a lot_ , despite Soulmate's granting of a mere twelve-hours to spend together.

Maybe since Zuko knew he would never see this girl again after the next morning, he threw caution to the wind and told her things he'd never told anyone else before. Katara was incredibly easy to talk to, and he did feel really comfortable around her.

She also seemed to think little was at stake here. "So, how'd you get your scar?" she asked, boldly and suddenly.

Taken aback, Zuko gave his automatic answer. "Training accident."

She poked his chopstick with hers and snatched the last piece of edamame. Then, with a smirk, she said, "No, really. How did it happen?"

Zuko watched her lips wrap around the pod as she sucked out the salty soybeans in a tantalizing, almost seductive manner. He took a long swig of his wine, swallowed slowly, and sighed. Alcohol and nerves burned in his throat, although he didn't have much to lose here by answering honestly. "My father… he and I… we got in a fight."

Katara stopped chewing, and her eyes went wide. "Your father did that to you?" Her shaky fingers reached up to clasp the pendant of a stone-carved necklace. It wasn't the first time she'd done that, either, Zuko noticed.

"It's pretty," he said. "Your necklace."

Katara's face reddened, and he immediately felt bad for mentioning it. "Thanks. It was… my mother's," she said. "She, uhh, died… when I was a kid."

"S-s-sorry. My mom, she—" Zuko let out a fake cough. "I haven't seen her since I was a kid, either."

As the awkward silence stretched between them, Zuko couldn't think of another question to ask besides, "And your dad?"

"He was gone a lot fighting in the war. But he's home now. We're good. It's not like he ever—" Her eyes settled on his scar again. She winced. "God, Zuko, that must've hurt. I'm a med student, and whenever I interned in the burn unit…"

She visibly shuddered, and Zuko resisted the urge to reach out and embrace her. They'd only known each other for 2 hours and 37 minutes. Yet, there were very few people who knew the truth—and _she_ was one of them.

Zuko and Katara left the restaurant walking hand in hand without much of a plan. They just kept walking and talking, hoping their twelve hours would stretch out for as long as possible. Zuko could tell this girl _anything_ , and that was the most amazing feeling in the world. At one point, he finally worked up the nerve to wrap his arms around her as a shield from the nighttime chill.

She sighed happily and buried her face into his chest. "Mmmm, you're so warm."

He almost suggested they go back to his place, if anything, to get some rest. But sleep would make the time go by faster, and he wanted to savor every moment he had left. As far as first dates go, this was everything he could have hoped for… and more.

It was their last hour together when she reached up to touch his scar. He stiffened. He was about to tell her she'd gone too far, that _no one_ was allowed to touch him there, but she cut him off with a kiss.

Zuko lost all sense of time. He wasn't sure if the kiss lasted seconds or minutes, but it was pure bliss. When they reluctantly pulled away from each other, Katara caressed his cheek once again. "I don't know the story behind this, and I wish you could be free of it," she said. "But it doesn't have to mark you, you know. I don't see you as Zuko with the scar. I just see you for who you are."

Zuko wondered if it was possible for this girl to truly know him in less than twelve hours. Is that what a soulmate is? Someone who knows you better than you know yourself?

But before he could answer, both of their phones chimed simultaneously, indicating the end of their time together and assigning them each a new partner.

Katara glanced at hers first. "Ugh. I don't know how much longer I can do this."

This piqued Zuko's curiosity. "How many dates have you been on?"

"Oh, let's see, first there was Haru. Then, there was Jet. Then this creepy guy, Long Feng. I had to report him to the system. It took me a while to recover after that. And now… you."

"Actually, now it's someone else." Zuko shrugged.

"Right. Some guy named Aang. Who'd you get?"

"Oh, ummm—" Zuko pulled his phone out of his back pocket. "It says… Mai."

Katara smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Mai is one lucky girl." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the forehead. "Goodbye, Zuko. I hope you find your soulmate someday."

"You, too, Katara," Zuko said with a half-hearted wave. And then, he watched his soulmate walk away.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	19. Soulmate Found

**A/N:** This is a continuation from the previous chapter. B/C you know I can't leave it hanging like _that._

* * *

Nine months. Nine long painful months. The first month wasn't that bad, but the other eight nearly sent Zuko spiraling into a dating depression. He had almost resigned to the fact that he deserved such a relationship that was mundane on its best days and unbearable at its worst. As soon as their torturous assignment was up, Mai checked her phone incessantly for her next pairing and shoved the screen under Zuko's nose when the name appeared.

"Maybe _June_ will appreciate me and not keep secrets from me like you do, Zuko!" she said in her usual scolding tone.

Zuko responded by deleting the Soulmate app from his phone. He'd spent half of his so-called relationship with Mai pining away for Katara, and now that he was finally over both of them, he didn't think he could date anyone else ever again.

The only thing he wanted to press his lips to right now was an ice cold beer. Mai had fled his apartment like a bat out of hell, but remnants of her were still there. He fished through a pile of dirty laundry, put on a pair of jeans that passed the smell test, and headed down to the local bar.

The scene was perfect so far—a nice foamy Guinness, bad country music playing in the background, and no one asking questions. Mostly lonely looking men scattered themselves throughout the establishment aside from one lovey couple tucked away in a dark corner.

A woman suddenly sat down next to him at the bar. "I can't believe it. The nerve!" she huffed. "Bartender! I'd like to order a Stella Artois!"

Zuko still didn't want to be disturbed, so he shifted slightly toward the next seat. Yet, there was something familiar about the newcomer. When she tossed a mess of curls over her shoulder, it was confirmed.

"Katara?"

"Zuko?" She furrowed her brow and studied him intently with those blue eyes he'd lost himself in so many months ago. "It _is_ you, Zuko!"

He laughed at her declaration. Wasn't the scar a dead giveaway? Or did she really mean what she'd said, that she didn't see it anymore?

Then, without much warning, Katara practically launched herself into his arms. "It's sooooo good to see you. Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Are you… you know, _with_ someone?"

"No, no." Zuko waved a hand dismissively. "I've decided to give up dating."

Katara smirked at him. He'd forgotten just how beautiful she was, even when she made _that_ face. He doubted his own goofy grin could hide his giddiness at seeing her again.

"How about you? Whatever happened with that Aang guy?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Shhhhhhhhhh! He's over there!" Katara gestured toward the couple in the corner.

Zuko squinted in the direction she was pointing but couldn't see much more than two shadowy figures seemingly attached at the face.

"I thought we were coming here for our last date, but he had actually invited me so I could meet his _soulmate_." Katara's eyes narrowed. "Her name is Toph, and she was his match before me. He couldn't stop talking about how awesome she is, and I couldn't stop thinking about—" She gasped, realizing she'd said too much.

Zuko laughed. "Do you think that's how the app works? It pairs you with your soulmate, but then forces you on one more date so you really know for sure?"

"Oh, Zuko, I don't know, but…" Katara bit her bottom lip before flinging her arms around him again. "I missed you. I thought about you every day, and I just want to… be with you. We don't have to be soulmates, we can just be…"

Zuko pulled away from her and gently cupped her chin. "We'll just be ourselves, OK?"

And then, he kissed his soulmate and sealed their fate.


End file.
